Chapter 15: Knowing

Amu stared at the results. She had been standing when she picked it up. The white bar in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

Amu stared in disbelief. Her eyes threatened to overflow. This can't be happening, she thought dreadfully. But it was…the small, oval gray spot showed a digital + sign. She was…pregnant.

She began to cry hard and she pulled her legs to her chin again, burying her face in it again. Then an awful and sickening thought struck her…what if it wasn't Ikuto's?

Len stood by the pharmacy, taking in what he had just seen Amu buy. He shook his head at the crude thought that the child might be his. That was settled…he wasn't going to kill her, especially while she was expecting.

He didn't know what made him think she had gotten positive results, but he still flipped out his mobile phone. He listened to the other line ring and then he heard a voice over it, "What do you want?"

"Ikuto, I know you hate me, but I just saw Amu walk out of the pharmacy," Len said. "Stalking my girlfriend now, Len?" Ikuto asked coldly. "No; she just pulled up. When she came out, she had a…" Len trailed off, not knowing how to put something like that easily. "A what, genius?" Ikuto asked impatiently. "…Pregnancy test."

Len could've sworn he heard the phone drop to the ground on the other line. "Ikuto?" he said. "Th-thanks, I have to go!" Ikuto said, apparently retrieving the phone. Len closed his own phone and leaned against the wall of the building.

That was the first time in his life that his brother had ever thanked him for anything. He realized, though, that Amu wouldn't be safe for long. With that man looking for her who had hired Len, she might as well shoot herself.

He shook his head and thought forcefully; She's with Ikuto. Ikuto will protect her no matter what. Though he hated his brother, he still knew he could count on Ikuto to keep Amu from harm.

He was going to apologize sincerely and help out with Amu. He wanted to know…was it his?

Amu still sobbed hard on her bed. The baby must've been reacting to her pain because it began to throw a fit of kicking and squirming inside of her. If it had been two or three months, wouldn't she have noticed? Her stomach hadn't yet begun to swell out and she had only been sick this morning. How could she not have noticed her period had been a week late until then anyway?!

Ikuto entered the house at full speed. He zipped past Alren on the way upstairs. "Would someone mind telling me why everyone is in such a hurry today?!!" Alren called to Ikuto.

Before Ikuto turned into the hall, Ikuto looked over his shoulder without stopping. "It's Amu; she might be pregnant!"

He stopped outside her bedroom and knocked softly on the door. "Amu…are you okay?" he asked. Sobbing was on the other side of the door. "Go away!" Amu shouted through viciously. Ikuto knocked again.

"Amu, what are the results?" he asked. "I said leave me alone!" Amu answered miserably. "Amu!" It came out meaner and sterner than Ikuto meant it, but he heard the lock click off and a slow movement inside.

When he opened the door, Amu was sitting on her bed, her face buried in her knees and she was sobbing, shaking uncontrollably.

"What's the matter? Where's the test?" Ikuto asked her. Amu looked up and dried her eyes, trying to look confused. "Ikuto, what test?" she asked. Ikuto looked taken aback. He sat down beside her and held her close. "Why are you crying then?" he asked. Amu paused before lying, "It's that time of the month…"

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The next week went by. Amu watched her belly; a small swell was in the center, which seemed to make it all the more real. She was walking with Ikuto down the sidewalk, Amu going to school.

She suddenly placed a hand on her stomach and gasped. "What is it?" Ikuto asked with concern. "It-it's nothing!" Amu breathed happily. Ikuto sighed and put his arm around her shoulders.

At school, Amu hadn't told even her friends about it. No one else knew and probably wouldn't until she had it because she would do her school work at home. But Len knew…

Amu sat in her gym class, waiting her turn to flip over the bar. The large orange cushion beneath it would be safe, but would it be too much for the baby? Her teachers didn't even know she was pregnant.

When it was her turn, Amu was hesitant. "Come on, Hinamori! Run for it!" the coach said from the side of the gym. Amu gulped and ran, turning and jumping up backwards.

She gasped and almost began crying when the baby kicked her harshly. She fell over the bar instead. "Hinamori! What's the matter?!" the coach came running to the cushion, where Amu had her arms wrapped around her small belly, crying.

Amu felt a little embarrassed as she sat with the guidance councilor, her coach, Miss Dana, and her principal, Miss Markis. "If you were pregnant, honey, you should've said something," the coach said to Amu in a kind voice.

Amu looked at her lap. "I wouldn't have made you jump it if I had known," Miss Dana said. Amu nodded. "I just didn't want anyone knowing…" she said. "We won't tell the students, Amu, it's not like we hand out information." Miss Markis said soothingly. "Now, is it still sore?"

Amu nodded and was taken to the nurse. When she had been checked out, the nurse said she would be okay and so would the baby if Amu went home. Amu went to the bathroom and called Ikuto from her cell phone.

When she went outside, he was waiting for her outside the car. She got in and Ikuto asked her what had happened. "I jumped the bar in gym…fell on it actually." Amu replied. "The coach just didn't want to take any chances. She told me to go home after that."

Ikuto knew she was hiding something. He felt a little hurt that she didn't say anything about what was going on.

Amu figured he was probably thinking something was bothering her. She couldn't tell him yet because she didn't know who the father was. If it was Ikuto, she'd tell him right away. But what if it isn't his?

She would find out soon enough, though. She planned to go to the hospital that Saturday. She didn't know how far along she was, and Amu hadn't been able to leave the house in the week's time she had known about her condition.

But she couldn't ask Ikuto to go with her…then again, she just couldn't stand to go alone. And the only other person who knew was Len. Amu couldn't believe she was going to do this. "Ikuto?"

"Yeah?" Ikuto looked at the road. "Would it be alright if…Len stayed with us for a while?" Amu was prepared for an explosion and she would probably cry because of being emotional. "If…that will make you happier than you've been." Ikuto answered. Amu looked confusedly up at him.

He smiled at her—yes smiled—and put an arm around her while driving with the other hand.

Amu took a deep breath. This was going to be tough. She was ready, though. It was crucial; a necessary act, even. She pressed the button. "Len? It's Amu," she said over her phone.

"Amu…are you—?" he asked. Amu sighed and swallowed. "I'm pregnant. I need to tell you something though. I am going to the hospital this Saturday and I don't want to go alone…" she said. "Why doesn't Ikuto go with you?" Len inquired over the phone.

"He doesn't know yet," Amu admitted guiltily. There was a pause on the other line. "Please, Len? I need you because you're the only one who knows!" she pleaded. "I…guess I can go." Len answered.

Amu felt a little better and told Len of what Ikuto had said. Len said he'd 'think on it' and then the conversation was over. Amu lay back on her bed and fell asleep, holding her belly and feeling the living thing inside of her.

That Saturday:

Amu sat in a blue sweat shirt and some jeans on her skinny legs in a waiting room with Len beside her. "I'm so nervous…" Amu said. "It'll be alright; you'll see." Len assured her.

"Hinamori Amu," A woman stepped out in a long, white jacket and black curls. She held a clipboard in her hands. Amu gulped and out of instinct, grabbed Len's hand in her fear.

Len helped her to stand, though her belly wasn't near swollen yet. Was that bad? He helped her to the door because she stiffened with fear.

"It'll be alright," he whispered to her. But he was just as scared to find out who the baby belonged to. What if it was him? A father at nineteen. That wouldn't be too bad if Amu was the mother…but she loved Ikuto.

Amu must've been feeling even worse than he was. She was going to be a mother at eighteen. And she still had a future ahead of her, she wanted to be a designer, right?

Amu sat on an examination table. It was soft and had paper over it. The nurse who came in had orange hair pulled back and she smiled at Amu. "Lay back for me and we'll take a look at him/her. How far along are you?" she said. "Three months," Amu replied. Whoever the father was, both had happened in the same month.

Len swallowed hard and Amu still had his hand. This wasn't right. Ikuto should've been the one holding her hand. But, he was there. She still didn't know it was him who had done that.

"All right, this will feel cold." the nurse said, running some jelly-like substance on Amu's bare stomach. Amu gasped from the sudden temperature on her flesh.

A small, plastic-covered, black piece of equipment was spread on her stomach. The screen by the table showed an odd shape and some gray-black shaded area. Something was moving.

Amu smiled involuntarily as she looked at the movement of her baby. The baby growing inside of her. Now Amu felt the happiest she'd ever felt in her life.

"Your baby seems to be perfectly healthy so far. I'll be back with the conception dates in a moment; you can use that towel and wipe your stomach off so you can pull your shirt down." the nurse said nicely before exiting the room.

Len stood and took the said towel from the counter to wipe Amu's flat stomach off for her. It was still pretty flat, though the tiny bump in the middle made it seem real enough for him.

Amu pulled her shirt down after the jelly-like substance was wiped off. "I'm the one who's nervous now! You're probably in a dream, though." Len said. Amu nodded, looking lovingly down at her belly.

The nurse returned with some envelopes. "Len; would you please leave for a moment?" Amu asked. Len nodded and left the room.

Only Amu knew what the results would be. God! The waiting was killing him!

Amu finally came out forty-five minutes later. Len stood and looked at her. "Amu; is it mine?" he asked, a look in his eyes that had never been there; concern. She seemed shocked and then put the pieces together, looking wide-eyed up at him.

Wonder who the dad is? *Laughs evilly* I love doing that! Well, I'll post again SOON. Be ready!!! .