Never Have I Ever…considered parenthood

As the waterfall roars and birds tweet nearby happily, I sigh and relax against the grass. Here, in my special area, I can be completely at peace.

The farm is a great place to sleep, but even then I often end up having to deal with the villagers that are roaming around the place. I used to jokingly ask Rio if she thought about putting a 'no trespassing' sign on her land before just giving up on getting any alone time there altogether and moved my personal space back to the waterfall area.

Just as I settle back, ready to close my eyes, I'm jolted out of my peace when I hear the sound of footsteps nearby. Thinking that it's Rio, I sigh and quickly roll over in the hopes that I can pretend I'm asleep when suddenly I hear an unfamiliar laugh.

In a flash I sit up, sending grass flying as I glare at the intruder: it's Tina. With a growl, I ask, "What're you doing here?"

Rather than answering, Tina just flops down in the grass next to me and complains, "I TOLD Rio you would've liked it better if she came to find you herself, but she didn't listen…"

"Rio needs me for something?"

Tina just rolls her eyes before a serious look comes over her face. Hesitantly, the reporter fiddles with her thumbs before saying, "In a sense. Um…I was wondering…"

As she continues to hesitate, biting her lip, I grow wary. Tina is Rod's girlfriend…in fact, they've been together so long that I'm positive he's going to propose to her any day and Echo Village will have another wedding. Besides that, I've already got Rio.

It isn't as if I need or want anyone else.

Opening my mouth to deny what I believe is about to be a confession, I'm cut off when Tina rushes out, "I was wondering if Rio's okay."

"Huh?" I ask, caught off guard at the question. "Why would you want to know that? Don't you two hang out all the time?"

Tina nods, but looks at the ground with a worried expression on her face as she explains, "I honestly don't mean to pry, but I feel like lately something been kind of off about her. I knew that if I asked her she wouldn't say anything because she hates to worry people, but I was hoping you'd at least have a clue as to what it might be that's bothering her…"

Sitting up, I frown and mutter, "Last I checked there was nothing wrong with her…I mean, the last few mornings she's seemed a bit more tired than usual but I just think she's been working too hard. I tried convincing her to rest more but she won't listen. You know how she is."

At that, Tina smiles a bit and nods, saying, "Yeah, Rio's a go-getter. Actually…"

"Yeah?"

Tina coughs awkwardly before asking, "I was wondering if she might be pregnant."

I blink.

Then I blink again before managing to splutter out, "Wha-what? P…p…pregnant?!"

At my completely astonishment, Tina seems to feel even more awkward as she waves her hands around and mutters quickly, "I really don't mean to pry, I don't! It's just that lately she's seemed to be showing all the signs for it when we're hanging out together. They're subtle, but they're there. Is she…?"

"No!" I exclaim loudly, my face red before I cough and say in a more composed manner, "No. She's not. I mean, her being pregnant…"

To this day, even after being married for close to a year, Rio only recently built a bed for a kid. She claimed it was 'just in case' but all the same the two of us never talked about it.

True, it's not exactly something one can plan out and predict but all the same…

Tina seems to take my stunned silence as her cue to end the conversation. Briskly straightening up, she says, "Alright, well thanks for putting me at ease. I did actually come to get you for her though, since it seems like she was making lunch and wondered where you were."

My stomach rumbles, and I remember that it is time to eat before I sigh and get up. Looking down, I offer Tina a hand up which she takes, and as I pull her to her feet I tell her, "Thanks for looking out for my wife. She's a handful…if she still seems off to you after a few days let me know and I'll talk to her about going to Klaus for a check-up."

The next morning, I walk out of the bathroom with a towel around my neck and sigh, glancing at the window. After that awkward conversation with Tina, it seems as if I haven't been able to get the thought of having a kid out of my mind.

While I mull over the whole thing, I hear footsteps and turn to see Rio coming out of the bedroom. Glancing at clock, I frown as I realize it's half an hour later than she normally gets up. As she stands in the middle of the room and stretches with a yawn, I walk over to her and put a hand on top of her head.

Turning, she blinks up at me before murmuring, "Ah…good morning. I slept in a bit…"

"Mmm," I hum in reply, looking down into her face only to find to my surprise that she's even paler than normal.

I hadn't thought it was possible, but as she stares up at me with a confused look on her face I find myself wondering when she got to have such a sickly complexion.

Tina was right; something IS off about Rio. Brushing aside my guilt for not noticing sooner, I put a hand on her back as she blinks and starts to sway back and forth.

Worriedly, I ask, "Hey, are you okay? You seem more tired than normal…and paler…"

"Wha…?" Rio murmurs, rubbing at her eyes and shaking her head. "I'm fine…"

She tries to smile up at me only to collapse in my arms, fainting the instant the words leave her mouth. As she slumps in my arms, I hold onto her, trying to straighten her up as I say, "Rio!"

When she doesn't respond, I scoop her into my arms and tell her, "Hang in there…I'm going to get help."

Trying to remain calm, I burst through the doors and walk off the farm with her as fast as I can, checking every now and then to make sure she's still breathing. Her chest rises and falls lightly, and her head rests on my chest as I carry her towards the far side of town.

Halfway to the clinic, she seems to wake up. Her eyelids flutter, and gazing up at my face in a confused way she murmurs, "Ne…il? Where…?"

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, I reassure her, "Don't worry. Just wait a bit longer, alright? We'll be at the clinic soon enough."

After a confusing fifteen minutes, I manage to tell Klaus what happened and I hover over his shoulder nervously as he gives Rio a shot of something. While she lies on one of the hospital beds, so still that I can't help but feel antsy, Klaus turns around and pushes his glasses up.

Giving me a look, the doctor says, "I understand that you are concerned, but please allow me to examine her. Wait out in the lobby room while I do so."

I'm not about to let him do anything to her; warily I move closer to the bed and hover in a protective stance before I feel a light tug on my sleeve. Glancing down, I see that Rio is holding onto my sleeve, smiling up at me weakly as she does so.

In an instant I forget about the doctor and turn around to face her, kneeling by the bedside before asking, "Hey…how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," she tells me, still smiling before her eyes dart to Klaus. The sheets rustle as she sits up, but as I move to help her she says, "Thank you for bringing me here, Neil. Maybe I should let Klaus give me an exam."

Under normal circumstances I would protest, but when she gives me an encouraging nod, I sigh and stand up again. Turning on my heel, I march past Klaus and into the waiting room.

I only have to wait ten minutes; soon the two of them walk out to where I am, and Rio sits down in the stool across from Klaus' desk as I stand next to her. Putting a hand on her shoulder, I ask carefully, "What's wrong with Rio, Dr. Klaus? Is she sick?"

With a loud snort that seems to say 'idiots', Klaus just adjusts his glasses again before saying, "Sick? Don't be ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with your wife, or the baby."

Silently, Rio and I exchange surprised looks before the normally stern doctor smiles at us and exclaims, "Congratulations; she's pregnant. The two of you are going to be parents!"

As Rio smiles in wonder and carefully places a hand on her stomach, I feel my hands shaking as I murmur, "Wow….a kid? We're….we're having a kid?"

While I find myself still trying to digest this news, the doctors looks at Rio sternly and warns, "Do not be complacent-you must be very careful, especially in the early stages! Rest frequently and eat healthy. Do not strain yourself, Rio."

Turning to me, the doctor says, "Neil, you must care diligently for her."

Overwhelmed and unable to find words, I just nod blankly before Rio stands up and thanks Klaus profusely. Taking my hand, she says excitedly, "Let's go home for now, Neil." Hesitantly, I smile and nod before allowing her to pull me back towards home.

Back at the house, I sit Rio down before coughing, "Uh….ah…..Just tell me if you need anything. Or if you don't feel good! Don't hold back!"

Rio tilts her head at me before nodding and laughing, "I won't. Thank you, Neil."

"Ah…yeah."

She pauses for a minute, before asking, "Actually…could you do me a favor right now?"

Perking up, I ask, "Yeah?"

"Can you forage for me today? I still have to take care of the animals. Don't worry," she hurriedly assures me, "I'll be careful. I'll see you tonight…okay?"

I slump at Rod's table, facedown while Rod and Tina blink at me in surprise. They're quiet for all of two seconds before Tina screams, "OHMYGOSH, she's PREGNANT!? I KNEW IT!"

Quickly I stand up, hissing, "Shut it, do you want the whole town to know? I just found out this morning…I've been spending all afternoon foraging in the forest and I still haven't been able to process it…"

Tina claps a hand over her mouth while Rod whistles and says, "Wow Neil…you guys are gonna have a kid…I'm gonna be an uncle…"

"Who said I'd let you be an uncle?"

Waving off my grumpy attitude, Rod frowns and asks, "You don't seem very happy about this news. What's wrong with having a kid? It's already been a year, aren't you ready by now?"

Slowly I fall back into my chair before grumbling, "I am happy…I'm just more worried than anything, I guess."

Exchanging looks, Tina and Rod glance back at me before the reporter asks, "About what? Rio's a lot stronger than we all give her credit for, so I'm sure she can handle it…"

"Not about that! I'm worried for the kid!"

The two of them blink at me before I cross my arms and say quietly, "I don't want to mess up the kid's life. I'm easily irritated, I'm harsh, I don't even notice when something's wrong with my wife until she faints right in front of me…I'm already bad enough at being a husband sometimes. What kind of dad would I be to a kid?"

There's silence before Tina reaches over and gives me a slap across the face. As Rod jumps up and exclaims, "Tina!" I bring a hand to my face in stunned silence before glaring at the reporter and demanding, "What the hell was that for?"

"Man up!" Tina tells me, hands on her hips as she glares back at me. "Rio loves you just the way you are. She wouldn't have married you and stuck with you for so long if she didn't think it would work out, or if she thought you'd be a bad father to your kids someday. So have more confidence in yourself!"

As I blink at the reporter, Rod reaches out and touches my shoulder gently before looking over at Tina and murmuring, "I think what Tina is trying to say is that you shouldn't worry so much about all those things. Nobody is perfect, but what matters in the end is that you try your best for that other person. Besides that, I've seen how you play with the kids that already live in town; you'll be a great dad."

When I walk into the house late that night, my cheek still smarts from the slap that Tina gave me. As I rub my cheek and silently grumble to myself, I notice that all the lights are off despite it only being eight. Normally, Rio would still be awake and cooking dinner, but considering everything that's happened today I'm not totally surprised that she's already asleep.

Walking towards the table, I find to my surprise that there's a note on the table pinned to a plate of what appears to be shrimp chili. Ignoring the food (which appears to still be warm), I take the note off of the plastic wrap and move towards the nearest light.

Flicking it on, I read, "Neil, I made dinner early since I got really tired. I wish we could've eaten it together and talked more about what happened today but I could barely keep my eyes open as I was writing this note! Anyways…I want you to know that I'm really happy about everything and that I'm glad I married you-you'll be a great dad. I can only hope I'll be just as good at being a mom! Goodnight…I love you!"

A smile flickers across my face before I turn the light off and walk back towards the table, dropping the note on the plate as I pass it and head towards the bedroom. As I lean against the doorframe and stare at our bed, I see Rio sleeping soundly as she lays sprawled across most of the mattress.

Quietly, so as to not wake her, I walk over to the bedside before sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at her. As she breathes lightly in her sleep, I gently brush away a few strands of hair from her face.

I wasn't expecting to be a parent just yet, but when I look at my wife like this I can't help but feel a surge of happiness. My hand travels down to her stomach, where it rests lightly on her skin as I think of the fact that this is my home, my wife, and that soon I'll have my own kid.

Leaning down, I lightly kiss her cheek and murmur, "I'll have to work even harder now for you, but it'll be worth it; I'm so happy. I love you too, Rio."

I actually wanted to do this a little earlier but still hadn't gotten it down right, so here it is now! :D To be honest, I do feel like in the game it's kind of sudden how your character gets pregnant...and on top of that, it's also strange to me that Neil says, "I'm so happy" during the cut scene but when you talk to him after he just says, "I still haven't gotten used to the idea" and he looks all ticked off XD

So I kinda combined all that when I wrote this :) Y'know, to be a bit different if nothing else XD

Either way, I hope you enjoyed it! While I won't be putting up another chapter on this story for a couple of days or so, I've decided that tomorrow I'm going to put up a Lillian and Phillip story!

It's been awhile since I wrote my first fanfic (which was for ToTT) and so I want to return to my roots and write for that game again :) So keep a lookout for when I put it up tomorrow! :D

As always, thanks for the reads and reviews here and I hope to see you all on the next update! :)