Well, I was going to make this a flashback chapter but halfway through, I lost inspiration for it. But no worries! There will eventually be a chapter to look back on Axel and Roxas's lives.

I did so much research for this.

Chapter 7

One week. It had been one week since the storm and since I told my parents I was pregnant. It was also on my way to the hospital. Sora was behind the wheel, I was in the passenger seat, and Axel sat in the back. You'd think the most nervous one here would be me but I felt perfectly fine for now. Axel, however, was not faring so well. He was twitchy and his leg kept bouncing against the floor of the car. Every so often I could hear the click of his teeth biting away at nearly non-existent nails.

"Axel," I finally spoke up as Sora pulled into a parking place. "Calm down," I said slowly, like talking to a child.

He looked at me and nodded, opening his door and stepping out.

I turned back around to Sora before getting out. "I'll call you when I get out, okay?"

Sora smiled back at me in an attempt at comforting me. "Good luck, Rox."

I nodded and slowly got out of the car.

Axel was waiting by the entrance. I could see his hand move around in his pocket and I knew he was trying not to pull out a cigarette.

"Do you want have a smoke real quick?" I pulled out my own pack and handed it to him. "I can't exactly use these anymore so you can have them."

He didn't respond. He just pulled out a cancer stick and lighter, taking a deep inhale as he lit the end of it.

"They're crushes," I reminded him and he crushed the menthol ball in the filter, rolling it between his fingers before bringing it back to his lips.

On exhale, Axel opened his mouth to speak. "I'm really scared," he almost whispered. His eyes refused to meet mine.

I scoffed. "Since when does Axel Von Brandt get scared?" I hid my hands from the cold in the front pockets of my sweat shirt.

Axel shook his head, taking another hit. "I don't know," he looked down, exhaling, and dropped the cigarette, crushing it with his heel. "Lead the way."

I hated examination rooms. They smelled like antiseptic and it burned my nose. Axel and I had been here for a while. A nurse already came in, asking for my information and taking a blood sample. He said something about it being a more practical method of pregnancy testing. Not long after that, my dad came in. He didn't say a word. Just sat down on the swivel chair and pulled out his tablet.

"Dad?" I called and he looked up.

My father sighed. "Well, there is no doubt that you are indeed pregnant," none of us reacted any differently. I had hoped it was mistake, but in the end I knew it wasn't. Dad tossed me blue paper blanket. "Tuck that into your waist band, lay back, and lift up your shirt."

I didn't hesitate and doing as he asked, watching him roll over a clunky machine. It looked like an ancient computer. "Is that an ultrasound machine?" I swallowed, suddenly nervous.

My dad nodded, turning on the ultrasound and pulling out an almost empty tube of gel. He held it over my stomach. "This'll be a little cold," he warned before squeezing out a glob of the gel onto my skin. Putting it away, dad picking up the pressing and pressing it on. Immediately, he started to move it around my stomach and a black and white picture on the screen moved with it.

It took a bit, but it wasn't long before the probe stopped and my father pointed to the screen. "You seem to be about 5 weeks. You see that black spot?" Axel and I nodded. "That's your baby."

I gasped. "Oh my god…" I whispered to myself. Looking over at Axel, I spoke again. "This is really happening, isn't it?"

Axel took my hand in both of his and nodded against them. "It really is," he sounded just as shocked as I did.

"I'm printing pictures," my dad interrupted. "For your mother, of course."

I laughed at his defense and was about to respond but Axel did first. "Can I…have copies, too?"

My dad grinned, as much as he ever does. "I don't see why not."

Dad spent the next few minutes taking pictures and pointing out the different parts of my womb on the ultrasound. But I hardly heard any of it. My ears were ringing and I couldn't concentrate. All I could see was that little black spot, the image of it covering up all other thoughts. In my mind, I could see it moving and forming into what looked like an actual baby. He had my nose, Axel's mouth and eye colour and hair colour, but the eye shape and hair thickness was all mine. He was the perfect mix of looks. Next, I pictured that little baby turning into a toddler. He was running around and causing trouble, just like Axel would. I pictured him finger painting with all the colours he could get his hands on. I saw him laughing as Axel lifted him up in the air and pretended he was an airplane.

"Rox?" Axel's voice pulled me out of my daydream. "You okay? You spaced out there for a second."

I took a deep breath and nodded, taking the paper towel my dad was holding out for me. "I'm fine," my voice cracked.

Looking away, I wiped off my stomach so I could pull my shirt back down.

Dad looked back to Axel. "You can pick up the pictures at the front desk," he pulled off his gloves and turned to me. "Your next sonogram will be at your nine week mark which is in four weeks."

"When's the due date?" I asked.

"I'd say…" he rolled over to the counter and pulled a piece paper and a pen. "Around May 28th."

At this point I started to panic. "You mean, I'll be graduating before I have the baby?" my dad nodded at me. "But, I'll be huge! Can't I be induced earlier? Like before graduation?"

My father sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Unless a health issue with you or the baby comes up, I'm afraid you will not be induced any earlier. You'll just have to deal with it, Rox."

I leaned back, placing a hand over my stomach.

Dad took a breath and stood up. "Things you should be prepared for in this first trimester," he started. "Morning sickness, mood swings, odd food cravings, constipation, fatigue, food aversions, and, of course, weight gain. You need to gain 25 to 30 pounds over the course of the entire pregnancy so do not skip any meals. The first three months are the most important. Your baby's most essential organs are developing during this time so be sure you also take pre-natal vitamins every day," he handed me a slip of paper; a prescription from it looked like. "I'll see you at home," and with that, he walked out.

I looked over at Axel. "You want to go to the bookstore?"