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: Yup, it has been a LONG time coming, and I appologize. I could make excuses (wedding planning) about why I haven't updated (married in 23 days!), but I won't. Let's just say I am sorry and I hope you forgive me. EXPLOSIVE chapter this chapter by the end. The next 2, maybe 3 or 4 chapters and this story might actually be completed. Imagine that, me updating enough to complete it? (AGAIN I am so SORRY).
You guys should thank the people who visited my website and commented/shout boxed. I hadn't had a review in so long (and I was writing an original story) that when I checked my website they really kicked my butt into gear.
If you want to visit my website, the link is in my profile or you can just type it out: krisblack (dot) webs (dot) com.
Kyoko woke early the next morning. She was nervous about the ultrasound and check up that she was going to have today. Knowing that there was a baby coming was one thing, seeing it on a screen would only solidify that she was, indeed, bringing a child into this word. A combination of her and Ren.
Or should she call him Kuon now?
There were so many questions left unanswered. Yesterday she had had enough information, she thought, to process for months. Now, only the morning after Ren's revelation, she found that she needed more answers.
But that wasn't going to happen today. She had her appointment in a few hours where she would meet Hizuri Kuu, Ren's father. It was hard to imagine, but easy to see when they were together. Ren looked so much like his father (besides for the hair color. Was black even Ren's natural hair color?), that it was hard to imagine now that she had not noticed the similarities between the two.
Besides, she wasn't going to bother Ren while he was working.
Instead, she dressed and ate breakfast before catching the bus to the clinic she had been referred to. It was one of the best in the city, which wasn't unexpected considering she had been at a resort when she had received her referral here. It was comforting to know that her care was left in such capable hands, but daunting to think about how radical the bill may be afterwards.
Hizuri Kuu was waiting in the lounge area when she entered, calmly reading a magazine for grandparents through his sunglasses. He had a hat covering his head.
She supposed when you were as famous as Hizuri Kuu, you needed a disguise to be anywhere in public. Despite how popular Dark Moon was getting, people scarcely recognized her in the street. Mio had a different hairstyle and hair cut, she wore different clothes. Normal people usually didn't match the two of them up.
Kuu looked up and smiled at her, a bright smile that almost blinded her. He patted the seat beside him. She sat down and folded her hands in her lap, determined not to look as nervous as she was.
"I already signed you in. I hope that you had a restful day off," Kuu said, looking at her.
She nodded. She had. She went home and cried herself to sleep almost instantly.
"I am sure that you have a lot of questions still that you want answered," he sighed. "I just wish Ren wasn't so busy all the time. He should be spending more time with you."
"I understand," Kyoko replied. "I am alright. Ren loves working and loves what he does. It would be selfish to expect him to put anything on hold. He is an amazing actor."
Kuu just smiled and flipped the page of his magazine.
When the nurse called her name, Kyoko stood and followed her. Kuu followed behind her, discarding the magazine on the small coffee table.
The nurse checked her vitals and took some blood while they waited for the doctor.
When the doctor came in she gave Kyoko some basic instructions before starting the ultrasound. She told her to try and eat healthy and organic as much as possible, to not do any heavy lifting and other things that Kyoko had already read in pamphlets. She also had more multi-vitamins prescribed.
When the doctor put the cold jelly on her stomach, Kyoko jumped a little. The doctor apologized, smiling, before looking at the screen as the paddle searched Kyoko's belly.
"It is always nice to see the father," the doctor said, glancing at Kuu.
"Oh, I am not the father," he laughed, waving his hand a bit. "I am the grandfather. This is my son's wife."
Kyoko opened her mouth to protest. No one said she was marrying anyone yet, and she certainly wasn't already married!
"There it is," the doctor said, cutting her off. "There is your baby."
Kyoko looked at the screen, the clear image of a baby-shape. The doctor pointed to all the pieces, showing her exactly what was what on the screen. The doctor explained that it was a 3D imagining machine, which made everything clearer and that was why it wasn't black and white like she had expected.
"It appears as though you are about fifteen weeks, based on the development of the baby."
Kyoko couldn't even manage to nod. She was stunned. There, on the screen, was her baby. Its heartbeat echoed through the room, it squirmed a little. It looked a bit like an alien at this point, but it was the most beautiful alien she had ever seen in her life. The doctor was still clicking buttons and moving the pad, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were fixed on the screen.
I wish Ren were here.
Almost as instantly as the thought had jumped into her head, she pushed it out. Ren had work to do. There would be other ultrasounds he could attend. He had sent his father instead, which showed that he cared.
But seeing the picture of her baby for the first time was the most magical moment of her life thus far.
"The baby just shifted. Would you like to know the gender?"
Did she? Did it matter what gender the baby was? No, it didn't. Regardless, it was hers.
But would Ren want to know? She didn't know the answer to that. They hadn't even discussed things between them, let along the gender of their baby or any names.
Regardless, she nodded her head. Perhaps one less surprise in this chaos would be comforting.
"Congratulations, you are having a girl."
Kyoko couldn't do anything other than nod.
"Julie is going to be thrilled! She always wanted a girl!" Kuu said, clapping his hands.
The doctor smiled and turned off the machine, removing the paddle from Kyoko's belly. She told her that the baby looked perfectly healthy and gave her instructions to the bathroom to wipe off the jelly.
"Are you ready to get back to work?" asked Kuu when she finished.
"I am. I am sorry if taking yesterday off inconvenienced you in anyway."
"Nonsense, you need to take care of yourself and the little princess."
When they began to walk passed the administration desk, Kyoko stopped.
"Wait, I have to pay for the bill…"
"It has been taken care of," he turned to look at her.
"No. No, let me pay you back! It isn't necessary, I-"
"I wanted to. And if I didn't, Julie would have sent me right back here from America to do it. Besides, I got us all copies of the pictures." He tapped a manila folder under his arm.
"Pictures?" She didn't realize that you could have pictures. Were they of the baby, or her sitting on a chair with her belly exposed?
"They are more like screenshots. The doctor took what was on the screen and printed some off for us."
"Can… can I see one?" Kyoko asked nervously, looking at the folder.
Kuu smiled at her again, passing her the envelope and leading her to the door. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her out to his car while she examined the pictures.
"Regardless of who your mother is, Kyoko-chan, you are going to be a good one," he reassured her when they got into the car.
She buckled up, tucking the pictures safely away.
"How can you be so sure?"
Kuu pulled away from the curb, making his way to LME – he had promotional business today at the company.
"Because you already love your daughter," he said warmly.
She smiled and put her hand gently on her stomach.
Kyoko and Kuu were having supper in the LME cafeteria. The promotional business has run a little late and Kuu still had a photo shoot to do.
"You do realize that I have tried to send you home three times already, right?" He asked, sipping his coffee while she chewed on her salad.
"But sempai, if I don't work, what will I do? I am not dying…"
He sighed and sat his cup down.
"You and Tsuruga-san are a lot alike. Both workaholics, both talented beyond belief…"
"I respect Tsuruga-san more than anyone else on this Earth."
Kuu's eyebrows shot up, furrowing the top of his forehead. That was the closest thing to a proclamation of love he would probably ever hear Kyoko say.
"Regarding that issue - I think that I would like to see you two married before I leave Japan."
Kyoko dropped her fork and looked up at him.
"But-"
"I am fast on the trail of your flighty mother," he explained. "I believe that I could find her whereabouts in as little as two days. The moment that I find her, I am flying to her location to get her to approve of this marriage."
Kyoko closed her open mouth and took a deep breath. That was impossible. She was certain that that woman had dropped off the planet.
Ren was already furious that she had wagered on her mother, now it appears as if she may lose.
She really needed to talk to Ren.
She held her open cell phone in her hands. It glowed brightly in her darkened room. Highlighted was the name "Tsuruga Ren" and her thumb hovered over the green send button.
She didn't know why she was hesitating. But the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't stop moving around and multiplying. She looked over to the picture from the ultrasound she had had framed and was now laying on her bedside table.
Her phone began ringing, startling her enough to jump. She looked down at the caller ID. Blocked. She pressed the green button this time.
"Hello."
"I am sorry I am calling so late; I just finished work."
Kyoko glanced at her alarm clock. It was already ten o'clock. Ren must be exhausted after working this late.
"I understand. You must be tired after working so long. Did you eat properly?"
He chuckled a bit at the other end and said something almost non-coherent.
"You should at least have a sandwich," she admonished.
"I will make one as soon as we hang up the phone," Ren promised. "How did the appointment go? Did Hizuri-san behave himself?"
"We are both completely healthy. Hizuri-sempai got pictures. Have you received yours yet?"
"No, but he will ensure that I receive it, no doubt."
There was a bit of a pause. Kyoko took a deep breath.
"The doctor told me the gender. Do you want to know?"
There was another pause and Kyoko glanced again at the picture of their unborn daughter out of nervousness.
Ren thought about it for a moment. Did he want to know the sex of the baby? That would make this whole surreal situation feel more real somehow. He couldn't decide. But he did know one way or the other, that he would rather have Kyoko tell him in person. He disliked having serious conversations on the phone.
"I would rather you tell me face to face. When is Hizuri Kuu leaving Japan? It must be soon."
She looked down at her hands, although he couldn't see her.
"He said he would leave right after we are married."
There was a momentary pause. Kyoko twitched, hoping that the voice of the demon lord would not be the next one she heard. Her radar wasn't useful through the telephone!
"He found your mother?" The voice of normal Ren asked.
"No, but he said he is close. " Her eyes welled. "I am so sorry Ren! I thought that she would be impossible to find! I don't want to force you into anything… I am going to call Hizuri-sempai and tell him that regardless, this just isn't possible!"
"Kyoko," he stopped her. "I think we need to talk. In person."
Kyoko hesitated, stiffening up. What did that mean? Whenever you heard that phrase in a movie it always signaled something bad was about to happen. Was he so upset with her that he wanted to chastise her in person?
"Are you going to bed or do you think you can stay up a little longer?"
"You want to talk tonight?" She asked, getting more terrified by the moment. Was he going to break up with her?
She remembered the dream she had had before Ren knew about the pregnancy – the one where he told her that they would have to be together in order to be broken up. She gulped.
"I-I was planning on staying awake for a while longer," she said. "Hizuri-sempai has a limited schedule tomorrow, so I can sleep in for a little bit."
"Would you mind if I came and picked you up?" He asked. "You can stay over here if it gets too late."
She thought about the last time she had stayed over at his apartment. Not the being together part, that wasn't worrisome anymore, but the paparazzi who had managed to take pictures.
"Are you sure that is a good idea?" She asked.
"I wouldn't make you do anything you wouldn't want to do," he replied in a low voice.
"That's not it," Kyoko replied, he had taken what she meant differently. "I meant I was worried about the paparazzi being there and it causing trouble for the company. I trust you with my life, Ren."
Ren winced. The fact that she trusted him so much was a relief, but at the same time it hurt him. He didn't deserve that trust. He didn't deserve any sort of love, and yet here he was in a relationship (no matter how strange and unconventional) and about to have a child. In what universe did he deserve this after all that he had done?
He needed to come clean. Before either of them went any further, without any outside influences, they needed to be honest and decide what their futures held.
He wasn't going to allow Hizuri Kuu to force either of them into something Kyoko didn't want – not after she learned the truth about Tsuruga Ren… the truth about Hizuri Kuon.
"I will be careful, I promise. I will even park the car in the underground garage this time. Wear your sunglasses and a hat just in case. I will be there in a little while, alright?"
"Okay, I will see you then."
When the line went dead, Kyoko dropped the phone beside her haphazardly. This was it, she had finally pushed Tsuruga Ren too far and he was never going to forgive her.
Ren had pulled up to the curb in front of the daruma in what seemed like milliseconds as Kyoko was counting down to her ultimate demise. She put on a black baseball cap and a set of sunglasses before grabbing her overnight bag and heading towards the car.
Ren didn't get out to open her door, and for that she was grateful. It put off when she would see the demon king and it was less likely that any photographers lurking around would be able to get a good shot in.
She slid into the car and buckled her seatbelt, resting the small bag she had on her lap.
She glanced over to Ren who smiled down at her. Not that creepy smile that she knew would release the demon king, the one that was so bright it made you blind. She tried to smile back at him, but with how miserable she felt, she knew that it was probably a failed attempt. He chuckled and touched her hand before pulling away from the curb and towards his apartment.
Kyoko watched as the city lights clashed by, lightening and darkening the car over and over. The car was silent save for the low humming of the radio in the background. Anything that they needed to say could wait until they got to the apartment.
When they went underground to park, the city lights disappeared to be replaced by the florescent bulbs in the ceiling. This time, Ren got out of the car and opened the door for her, taking her bag in the process. He was also wearing a cap and sunglasses.
He took her hand and led her to the elevator. He twisted his key in the keyhole, allowing the doors to open, before they both got in and he hit the button to his floor. He had let go of her hand, leaving her to nervously twitch them in front of her.
His apartment was just as she had remembered it from the few months before when she had been there, initially running lines and eventually conceiving.
Ren took her bag and depositing it in what she knew was his room.
"I will sleep on the couch tonight," he said when he came out to ease any worries she might have.
"Oh, no! I couldn't take your bed. Please, just let me sleep on the couch." She didn't want Ren to have a bad sleep; he had to go to work tomorrow.
"No, you are pregnant. It is better that you have the bed. Don't worry about it; I will rest easier knowing that you are comfortable."
She blushed in embarrassment.
"We better sit down, I think we have a lot to talk about and it is finally time we did it."
She nodded. They had been putting a lot of it off. It seemed that no matter where they were they were always being interrupted by something or someone. She sat down on the sofa and Ren sat across beside her. He pulled out his cell phone and turned it off this time. She frowned; knowing there was no saving her this time, and did the same.
"Kyoko, I have a lot I need to tell you."
She nodded, holding back tears. Damn hormones. She was prepared for the worst.
"This isn't going to be easy, and I don't expect your forgiveness or even understanding. I just want you to listen to the whole thing before you, inevitably, leave."
She nodded again. The tears were so high in her eyes now she was sure that they were drowning. She was angry at herself. She had promised she would never cry over the likes of a man again and yet here she was, bracing herself yet again to be abandoned.
Ren looked torn, like he couldn't believe he was actually going to say what came next. He looked up at her, eyes wide and almost scared.
"When I was ten, I met a younger girl near a stream. I told her I was a fairy and gave her a stone to cheer her up and stop her from crying."
Kyoko, who had begun looking at her feet, snapped her head up to stare at him wide-eyed. She opened her mouth like a guppy, but closed it back tightly again.
Ren. Tsuruga Ren was her fairy prince Corn?
She closed her eyes for a moment and pictured Corn, the fair-headed fairy prince who had cheered her up when she was crying. There were similarities, to say the least. How had she not realized this earlier?
Kuon and Corn.
"I felt suffocated in America. I excelled at martial arts, acting, and school, anything I could do to be worthy to be my father's son – to surpass him. It weighed down on me like the weight of the world."
"Your father kept crushing your wings," Kyoko whispered.
Ren nodded and looked into his lap.
"Soon after I met the young girl in Japan, I returned to America. Once I turned thirteen, I began to rebel against the father that I had once idolized. I began stealing, fighting, doing anything I could to show him that I was nothing like him. I wanted to be my own person."
He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath.
"Other than my father and President Lory, no one else in the world knows all of this about me, Kyoko. When I was fourteen, I joined a gang. At first, all we did was vandalize, steal and torment. My father always bought me out of trouble, which only angered me more. Then, one day when I was fifteen, we went too far."
He paused and looked hesitant to continue. Kyoko, whose tears just began to spill through said:
"Ren, what happened? What did you do?"
He looked up at her with a look of sheer torment, grief and regret etched onto his beautiful face. Kyoko's heart stopped. This was Kuon, the true Hizuri Kuon.
"Before President Lory swept me off to Japan, before Tsuruga Ren was invented, I killed someone."
AN: WOW~! The cat is out of the bag. We are getting somewhere now, aren't we readers? Remember, reviews get me going, and keep me going. I am hoping to pump out another one in October - what with my wedding being in 23 days and the Final Fantasy Open Beta starting and working full time I don't wand to make a promise for another September release: but we will see!
How will Kyoko react? Next chapter: Kuu has a nice little talk with Kyoko's mom?