Always Be My Baby

by Kris Black

Summary: After going over lines for TDM, Kyoko and Ren have a night of passion and the result could not only cause a scandal, but ruin both of their careers. How will the two lovers withstand the trials of their love?

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Skip Beat! the manga or the anime. I do not own any characters listed in this story except those you don't recognize. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of the story as a whole, or in part.

AN: Again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I read them all and I try to take your advice. Next chapter, the story begins to pull from Canon and we can get some more balls rolling and set more things into motion! Again, thank you for all the support, it really means a lot to me!

The sound of hurried whispering echoed around the group. Kyoko was sure she knew exactly what they were saying – they had all probably watched the Japonet Scoop that aired last night. Everyone in the world probably thought there was some strange love-triangle between her, Ren, and Sho.

"Are you feeling better?" Sho asked, looking at Kyoko and choosing to ignore Ren.

"E-Eh?"

"I remember that you threw up last night into a garbage can," Sho humoured her. "I wanted to make sure that you weren't still sick to your stomach."

Kyoko looked over at Ren, hoping that the Prince of Darkness wasn't ready to come out. He looked calm, too calm. Her warning against the Prince had not come out, so Kyoko wasn't sure what was going on inside Ren's brain.

"Yashiro-san, I am heading to my dressing room to make sure everything is in order for the change in location in a few days," Ren said calmly. "Stay here, and I see you in a bit, okay?"

Yashiro watched as Ren walked away, avoiding the confrontation that he was sure would have happened. How could Ren be so cool about this? Didn't it bother him that Fuwa Sho had come completely out of his way to see Kyoko?

Ren clenched his fists and glanced back once he was out of sight. Of all the things that could have happened, why Fuwa Sho? Why right now? Didn't he know that he wasn't wanted anymore? Couldn't he just leave her alone and let her get on with the life he destroyed? Ren clenched his fists tighter and walked towards his dressing room.

Sho gently grabbed onto Kyoko's wrist and pulled her away from the gawking crowd, causing them to whisper even more loudly than before. She followed him all the way down to the end of a long, empty hallway over to the right of the set. She immediately pulled her wrist from his hand, just like the night previous and began to stare him down.

'He must be here for a reason; after all he didn't even care about bothering me at work. It's probably because I injured his stupid pride last night.'

Just looking at him made her blood boil while her demons quickly sorted themselves into groups for an all-out assault on the man that fathered them.

Sho reached into his jacket pocket, making Kyoko go on the defensive. Was he pulling out a weapon?

"Here, take this," he said, offering her a tube from his jacket. "It's a quick healing ointment that reduces scars. I heard it is amazing."

'He is actually giving me something?' Kyoko asked herself horrified.

Fuwa Sho had always been all about himself. Everything of Kyoko's had belonged to him, he had always thought. He had always given her at least one gift on her birthday, and sometimes Christmas, but he had never given her anything because he felt like it. No, this was a completely foreign concept to Kyoko and was really freaking her out.

"I don't want any suspicious medicine from you," she glared.

"Just use it!"

"I don't need it!"

"I went through the trouble of buying this for you myself, just take it!"

"Do you think this will atone for what happened yesterday?" She demanded, still half-yelling.

Sho went quiet for a moment and tossed the ointment at Kyoko, who caught it out of instinct.

"Everything you said yesterday was absolutely true," he sighed. "I knew Vie Ghoul was out to crush me, but I underestimated them. I didn't think that they could simply beat me by copying me, and I was wrong. For the first time, I felt fear; there are plenty of people just like me who can replace me in this business. But it wasn't my style to say anything..."

Kyoko looked at Sho, who was shaking, and was reminded of how they used to be – before they ran off to Tokyo together, before she knew what he was doing to her. He used to tell her things about himself like this late at night when they would curl up on the couch and watch movies, or when they took long walks at night together. This was the Sho that she remembered, the determined and kind Sho; the Sho only she knew.

Her demons suddenly flared up again, reminding her that this wasn't the same Sho. This Sho had destroyed her in a single moment, had ruined her life and forced her to start new. This Sho, no matter how similar to the old one, was the enemy and couldn't be trusted for even a moment.

"I refuse to let that bunch of plagiarists take the existence of 'Fuwa Sho'!" He finished with resolve.

Kyoko looked at him blankly, trying her utmost not to be moved by his sudden speech. He looked up at her, flushed from his declaration and blushed.

"Then, you showed up and revealed everything that I was trying to keep down – which is just like you, you could always see right through me. It felt like you were just pouring salt into my wound and it angered me."

He paused again and took a deep breath. He reached up and put his hand near the cut he had caused on her cheek. She tried to will herself to flinch, to step back away from his evil touch, but she could only stare up at him blankly.

"I never meant to hurt you."

Had either of them been paying attention, they would have noticed the tall, dark figure who had just emerged from around the corner, who had been bent on bringing Kyoko back and saving her from the man who had broken her. If they had been aware, they would have heard him turn around and walk back the way he had come.

"No matter the reason, I know that I shouldn't raise my hand against any woman, especially you."

He pulled his hand down and looked away from her.

Kyoko didn't know what to do. Who was this in front of her? Was this really the man that had broken her all of those months ago? Why was he suddenly being so nice to her? The man in front of her, he wasn't Fuwa Sho, he was –

"Shotaro," she whispered.

"R-ren?" Yashiro asked, watching Ren do exactly as he said he would be, packing some of his stuff for the move to the location.

"Yashiro-san."

"Are you alone?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just thought that you would have gone and retrieved Kyoko-chan from Fuwa Sho."

"Kyoko hasn't come back yet?" Ren asked calmly.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Yashiro burst. "You are a failure as a lover! It's because you are being so vague that those two could be making peace at this very moment!"

"That's impossible. Kyoko would never do that. Calm down,"

The sounds of heels running down the hallway echoed through to the end, snapping up Yashiro's attention. Kyoko jogged lightly over to them.

"I am sorry for causing trouble," she panted lightly.

"What... did Fuwa Sho want?" He asked.

Kyoko paused for a few moments, looking at him. Should she really tell him what just happened? She glanced over at Ren and decided that it was probably best not to, after all the Dark Prince could still make an appearance – ever since she had met him again, she had been walking on shells, hoping that Ren wouldn't get angry. When he was waiting here for her this morning, she was sure Ren would go into Dark Prince Mode, and she knew she still wasn't out of the water yet. He always ruined Ren's mood.

"There wasn't anything significant," she replied after the delay and then hurried over to the director to apologize for the interruption he had caused.

"Oh God, something happened!" Yashiro squeaked. "That was code for 'don't ask me about it'!"

"You're super paranoid," Ren said, picking up a script and looking through it. "It would be normal for her not to want to say anything about him."

"Ren how can you be so indifferent to this?"

Ren ignored Yashiro and continued looking through the script in his hands, the lines blurring in front of his eyes in fury as his fingers ached to break something. He set the booklet down and walked over to Kyoko and the director.

"Do you mind if I borrow Kyoko for a minute? I just want to tell her a couple things before I have to go to the photo shoot."

The director nodded his head in agreement, and Ren motioned for Kyoko to follow him. She followed obediently, hands folded nervously in front of her. He stopped at a nearby room and walked in. He sat down in front of the keyboard he used to practice and began the piece that Katsuki has to play. Kyoko shut the door behind her silently and pulled a chair up next to him.

"You're still throwing up?" He asked, continuing his menstruations on the keyboard.

She nodded silently, knowing that he could see her in his peripheral.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was important," she lied. "I didn't want to worry you needlessly when all of this stuff with the paparazzi and everything was going on."

She knew by now that vomiting the way she had been was not normal, she wasn't stupid. She didn't know what else could be causing it, so she didn't want to worry anyone over it.

A silence enveloped them as she listened to Ren play Katsuki's musical part perfectly. That is, until his finger slipped and he missed a key.

"Ren-kun, are you angry with me?"

"I'm not angry, why do you ask?" He stopped playing and turned to look at her.

He didn't seem angry, Kyoko noted. Everything about him screamed calm, but she just couldn't get pass the feeling that something was bothering him – after all he was the best actor in Japan, if he wanted to act calm he could certainly do so; besides, her Demon Prince Warning wasn't going off. It was just creepy that he seemed to be angry and yet didn't at the same time. Kyoko was sure that Ren would be the one the most upset about his appearance.

She stopped completely. Ren might look calm, but he was definitely angry. If Ren found out the he caused the scratch on her face then she would certainly fall victim to the Demon Prince as harbinger of death.

Ren reached over and put his hand on Kyoko's cheek – exactly where Sho's had been not so long ago. He looked up at the band aid on her cheek and something seemed to click in his head and he dropped his hand immediately.

"He did that to you, didn't he?"

"Wh-what?"

"He hit you last night didn't he?"

"Who?" She stammered.

How had Ren figured it out? Was it his sudden appearance at the studio today that had alerted him?

"I think that you know who I am referring to, and I know well enough that his name is forbidden."

"R-ren-kun, I..."

"So, he doesn't need an honorific, but I am stuck with one despite everything?"

"Ren," she whispered and closed her eyes.

"He should never have hit you. I would never," Ren stated.

He stood up and began to walk away.

"Wait, Ren!" Kyoko stood up and walked up to him quickly, grabbing onto his arm and stopping him.

He turned around, not quite the Demon Prince, but very close – the close Kyoko had ever seen him without going fully into Demon Prince Mode. She looked up to him, about to ask what he was going to do, when he swooped down and captured her lips with his. Her eyes shut instantly as she relaxed into the kiss and he brought his arms around her in a protective embrace. He pulled away too soon for Kyoko, letting her go gently and walking towards the door again.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I think that he is probably still in the building and I have a bone to pick with him before I go to my next job."

"Ren, please don't!" Kyoko begged and began to run to him again.

However, this time Kyoko didn't reach her target. She suddenly got super hot and her world started to spin around her in a blur and she couldn't seem to grasp onto anything to keep her up, to grasp onto reality. She saw Ren turn around right before her world faded to black.

"Kyoko? Kyoko!"

Kyoko blinked her eyes a few times, disoriented.

"Ren?" She asked, confused.

For some reason, she was lying on the floor with Ren staring over top of her, his face full of anxiety – all traces of the Demon Prince had vanished.

"Are you alright? How are you feeling?"

"I- How did I get on the floor?" She asked, pulling her hand up to her aching head.

"You fainted, Kyoko. You're lucky that I noticed before you fell and caught you or else you might have been injured."

"Fainted?" She began to feel sick and motioned for him to help her up quickly, which he did.

She ran to the nearest trash can and heaved what little remnants of her breakfast remained in her stomach. Ren walked over to her and patted her back gently.

"I think that you should see a doctor," he said when she had finished. "This isn't normal."

"I'm sure it's nothing serious," she argued, although she wasn't sure herself at this point.

"It doesn't matter. Promise me that you'll see a doctor Kyoko, I'm worried about you. I don't want you to be vomiting and fainting everywhere on location where I can't look after you. If not for yourself or for me, think about the trouble it will cause for the cast and crew if you don't get this straightened out."

"I don't have time after work today and tomorrow we go on set. I'll get looked at one of the doctors there."

"Promise me," Ren warned.

"I promise."

The next morning, Kyoko began her daily routine once more. Wake up, eat breakfast, relieve her breakfast, wash up and get dressed. She then proceeded to pack all the necessities for her on location trip.

'Clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, face wash, make-up of course, and my alarm clock,' she checked the items off in her head and made to zip up her duffel bag before something caught her sight on her bed.

'Oh right, Corn!' She yelled at herself and crawled over to her bed and picked the small stone up.

The last time she had used Corn, it was when she had given it to Ren to cheer him up. She remembered he gently kissed the stone before giving it back. Normally, she would have thought of it as a curse; that Ren had given Corn the kiss of death. But now, she smiled and gently brought the stone up to her own lips.

A knock on her door brought Kyoko out of her reverie and she quickly put Corn back into her pocket. The Okami-san, the owner's wife opened the door quietly.

"Are you packed to leave already?"

Kyoko nodded in assurance as she patted her backpack.

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure before the company car came and got you. Do you know where you are headed yet?"

"Director Ogata told me yesterday before we left set that we are going to Karuizawa."

"Karuizawa? That's a super high class resort area! You must be looking forward to it."

"Of course," Kyoko smiled at the older woman. "It's more like a vacation than anything."

"By the way, Kyoko-chan..."

"Yes, Okami-san?"

"You're not harbouring any feelings of love for the staff or your co-stars are you?" She asked nervously.

Kyoko looked at her for a few seconds, wondering what had brought up this strange line of questioning. The owners knew what was being written in the tabloids wasn't necessarily true, why bring up such a sensitive subject at such a time?

"O-of course not Okami-san!" Kyoko laughed. "Harbouring love? I am a girl who lives for work; I'm not stupid enough to harbour something like that."

"It's just that, every morning – "

"Kyoko-chan, the car's here!" The owner called up, interrupting his wife.

"Sorry Okami-san, I have to go," Kyoko rushed, grabbing her duffel off of the floor.

"Just be careful, okay?"

"Of course," Kyoko shot her a brilliant smile and went dashing down the stairs.

Kyoko sat in the car, watching the buildings fly by. Why had Okami-san brought up love, of all things? Love was not something that was going to happen, not to Kyoko anyway.

She laid her head gently against the window when her bag began to vibrate. She opened it quickly and pulled out her phone. She took a quick look at the ID, which was blocked meaning it could be only one person. She smiled and opened it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello." She knew it.

"I, I'm sorry for calling you so early in the morning, I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, not at all. I'm in the car on the way to the location now. Is there something wrong?" Kyoko asked.

Ren didn't usually stutter this much on the phone and was usually straight to the point.

"Well, I-um, I was kind of worried about you Kyoko. Did you pack everything you needed?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Well, I was just checking considering that it is your first time on location. You shouldn't cut loose or anything, you're still at work. Be careful of press, you know how popular you have gotten recently."

Is he treating me like a child? Kyoko thought darkly. Checking to make sure that I packed everything and behave well? Normally, she would have told him to stop mocking her, but then she remembered what had passed between them just two months ago and smiled. He was probably just worried about her well being, and she blushed.

"Kyoko?"

"I'm here, and don't worry I'll be careful."

"And don't forget your promise."

"I'll see a doctor as soon as I am able to."

"I'll join you there as soon as I can."

"Do your best at your photo shoot," Kyoko cheered him on.

"Thank you. I'll see you in a few days."

"I'll see you then," Kyoko smiled and hung up her phone.

Kyoko put her phone back in her bag, smiling happily. Ren always seemed to be able to cheer her up.

Meanwhile, Ren listened to the sound of his phone signalling it was disconnected as he stared at the TV in his darkened apartment. He watched mutely as a goddess-angel killed her best friend's lover, his eyes slanting to a glare while he watched the devil fall to his death after the angel choked the life out of him.

AN: So that was it, I hope you liked it. Again, in the next chapter we are pulling away from the canon a little more than I have been – look forward to it! Kyoko begins to figure out what is wrong with her; meanwhile Sho and Vie Ghoul are interested in her. While Ren is away, the boys will play. Please review to keep my pace up!