Chapter ten: worry & News

As Miyuki was being interrogated by the two police officers' Shizuma watched over the nurses who arranged another bed beside Nagisa's, for her to sleep in for the weekend. Hopefully Nagisa would get better by Monday. Shizuma barely took her eyes off of Nagisa's unconscious features. Her waxen skin looked paler then it had in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, and the way the countless tubes and wires sank into her delicate skin Shizuma was sure that the girl had shrunk twice in size, as she looked so small and helpless. Shizuma herself felt helpless. And she hated that feeling with a passion, almost as much as she hated Tamao-chan, which was saying something in itself. As soon as the nurses had finished preparing her bed she thanked them and sank into the soft mattress, her eyes trained on Nagisa's sleeping face. Her emerald eyes drifted down to the ring Nagisa had given her earlier. "I should have protected you, Nagisa, what sort of foolish fiancé would not see this coming?"

"A fiancé who is determined to stick by her side no matter what?" came a deep voice from behind her.

Shizuma snapped around in stunned silence. The man behind her was tall, with ice white hair and silvery grey eyes. "F-father?"

The man smiled tenderly down at her and patted her head affectionately "yes, Shizzie, I heard about everything's that's happened"

"H-how?" Shizuma asked as she sat down on the extra bed with her father.

"Sister Clemen's phoned me early this morning" Shizuma nodded in understanding "you've picked a fighter" he assured her, resting his aging hand over her own.

Shizuma smiled and looked over at Nagisa who stirred slightly in her sleep "I know" then her head snapped around to face him "you mean … you mean you do not mind that I plan to marry a girl?"

To her surprise Saburo chuckled "of course not dear, if she makes you happy then so be it"

"Arigatou father" she hugged his chest.

"Your welcome Shizzie" he kissed her forehead

"Must you call me Shizzie?" she whined.

Her father chuckled "you don't mind when Nagisa-chan calls you 'Shizzie'"

"That's different!" she argued heatedly.

Saburo shurgged and grinned down at his daughter "If you say so" Shizuma roleld her eyes at him with a small smile "shall we go and find your mother?"

"Mother is here, too?"

"Of course, you don't expect me to come all the way out to Shanghai…alone do you?" he grinned.

"Of course not" Shizuma chuckled and stood up beside her father. She turned back though "I do not want to leave Nagisa-chan"

"I understand, Shizzie, really I do but she will be fine for twenty minutes or so, beside your mother wants to see you"

"Why?"

"Something about how she won't rest until she knows you're alright"

Shizuma gave a small smile "alright, alright, I'll see her"

Miyuki on the other hand was pretty sure the questions being fired at her were coming from a broken record. She rubbed her temples and sighed. A police officer faced her while one stood in the corner. "So are you sure that Tamao-chan has been slipping Nagisa-chan the drugs?" chair-cop asked.

"For the seventh time yes!"

"And do you have any proof that there were five bottles admitted to the defendant?" corner-cop asked.

"Yes, now if you two cannot come up with any more questions I need to be back at my school"

Chair-cop sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he stood up and opened the door for Miyuki "Arigatou for you time" Miyuki said nothing, she merely brushed past him and went into the waiting rooms where she found Shizuma and her parents, Saburo and Ren Hanazono.

"Evening Miyuki-chan" Ren smiled up at Miyuki "would you like to join us for some green tea?"

"No thank you, I must be getting back to Miator and inform them of Shizuma and Nagisa's absence"

"Miyuki"

Miyuki turned to Shizuma and before her friend could open her mouth she spoke "I will deal with Suzumi-san, you focus on helping Nagisa"

Shizuma smiled "Arigatou Miyuki" she watched with a faint heavy heart as her friend disappeared through the bleach white doors. She turned to her parents "thank you for coming mother, father, but I really think I should get some sleep now"

"Alright" Ren smiled sympathetically down at her daughter before kissing her forehead "off you go, we'll stop by tomorrow afternoon"

"Okay, until tomorrow then?"

"Until tomorrow"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The car ride home was dismal and uncomfortably quiet. Miyuki's forehead was pressed to the cool windowpane of the car door as she watched the soaking wet streets roll on past her. It made her slightly dizzy but she ignored it. A hand came to rest on her stomach. She caressed it soothingly. "Hopefully Tamao-chan is already at the police station, I don't have the energy to deal with her tonight" thankfully Tamao had already gone to the police station so Miyuki was looking at a peaceful night ahead. She wondered up to her bedroom and climbed into bed, not even bothering to change out of her clothes. She was too tired. She sighed deeply and drifted off to sleep. It was early in the morning when her mobile bleeped. She groaned rubbing her sore sleepless eyes and opened the text message. It was from Renji.

I got the paternity test results back today

A lump caught in her throat as she scrolled down the text to get to the information she needed to know.

I am the baby's father!!! I'm so happy! Love you lots Miyuki!

Love Renji

Miyuki felt like jumping up and down with joy. Renji was her baby's father and not that rapist ex-fiancé her mother had forced upon her. She punched the air "Yes!" before hopping out of bed and heading for the bathroom, a nice hot shower to cap it all off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back in the hospital things were looking brighter too, and not just because it was late on a Saturday afternoon. Shizuma had stirred awake when a limp hand nudged her forehead. She groaned and batted the hand away snuggling deeper into her pillows. A soft chuckling filled her ears. She forced her head upwards and was sure she was dreaming, because there in front of her was Nagisa smiling across from her bed. "You're not real" Shizuma slurred sleepily returning to her pillow.

"Oh you're nice aren't you?" Nagisa chided lightly with a smile as she threaded her fingers through Shizuma's white locks. "And here I was hoping to get a 'good morning' kiss"

Shizuma sat bolt-upright "Nagisa?"

"No, it's the sugar-plum fairy"

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, love" Shizuma chided.

"Sorry" Nagisa smiled sweetly "how long was I out for this time?"

"Not long, half a day more or less" Shizuma sat gracefully on Nagisa's bed, enlacing their fingers together. She pouted, stroking Nagisa's auburn hair "I missed you, you know. I was so worried"

Nagisa crooned into the touch "nice to know" Shizuma placed a small kiss to Nagisa's lips. Nagisa kissed back slightly revelling in the feel of Shizuma's warm mouth upon hers. "Have you heard from Miyuki?"

"No, not yet, she said she'd stop by maybe tomorrow so she can help us get back to school alright"

"School sounds like heaven right now"

"Aw don't say that"

"Why not?"

"Because I want our house to be heaven for you, not school"

Nagisa chuckled lightly "but I have three more years there so I might as well like the school I'm staying at"

"True"

"Shizuma-sama?"

"Mm?"

"What is wrong with me?"

Shizuma let out an angry sigh "Suzumi-san drugged you"

Nagisa's eyes flew wide "Tamao-chan…?"

"They've arrested her as far as I know"

"Good" Shizuma's head snapped up to face Nagisa, a shocked look in her eyes "I am sick and tired of Tamao always being there to ruin everything good for me, thankfully now it cannot happen any more"

Nagisa shuffled across her mattress so that she was kneeling by Shizuma. She wrapped her arms around the older girls' neck and kissed her "I love you so much" they kissed deeply for several minutes. Then a cough interrupted them. They pulled apart to see the police officers'.

"Aoi-Nagisa?" the man asked.

"H-Hai?" Nagisa bit her lips anxiously.

"Suzumi-Tamao has been arrested. We would like to ask if you would like to accept her permission for free visitation rights to see you?"

Nagisa shook her head "no, I refuse. I never want to see her or have her anywhere near me again"

"Very well then, good day" they turned and left the hospital.

Shizuma turned to Nagisa and smirked "now where were we?"

Nagisa leant over and pulled the curtains shut around her bed before crawling back up Shizuma's body and leaning teasingly close to her lips. "I think I know" and she pressed her mouth to Shizuma's in a burning kiss.