DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN THIS PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.

Okay, it's been a while and I apologise. Real life doesn't always leave me time to write…

Anyhoo, I hope y'all enjoy this next chapter.

IV

Ventus, Terra and Sora decided to split the list into three parts due to the sheer number and variety of items on it. Sora was in charge of edibles, Terra was getting all the decorations and Ventus was getting everything else that that fell into the miscellaneous category, along with a certain item that both Terra and Sora vehemently refused to go near.

Ventus frowned at the item in front of him. Aqua had underlined it on the list three times, so it was obvious she needed it, but he just couldn't see why she couldn't have waited or gotten it herself. A knot began to form on his brow. There were a million types, how was he supposed to know which one?

The scent of french perfume wafted into the area, followed by the sound of an angelic voice. "Can I help you?"

"Uh.. yeah.. You see, my sister asked me to get her some of these, but I honestly don't know anything about this type of thing," Ventus responded, his cheeks turning a deep scarlet. The thing in question was, of course, a box of tampons, A.K.A., every man's worst nightmare.

The young woman laughed musically, her topaz eyes shining as she swooped a stray hair behind her ear. She promptly grabbed a box and handed it to Ventus. "It's not nearly as complicated as I'm sure it looks. These'll probably do fine."

Ventus's blush deepened further as he accepted the box and thanked her, quickly taking off to retrieve the rest of the items Aqua required. He paused near the end of isle, glancing at an item someone had discarded on the shelf instead of returning it to is designated location. It was a pair of shoes that looked like they just might fit Annabeth. He picked them up.

"Also for your sister?" The woman asked. Ventus hadn't realised she was still there.

"Huh? Oh, no. They're for my daughter." Those words still sounded weird coming out of his mouth, but he was gradually getting used to it.

"Oh, you have a daughter?" She asked, her head tilted curiously. "How old is she?"

He thought back on what the pediatrician had said. "Three and a half months. At least, that's what we think?"

Now she really was looking at him curiously. "What you think?"

"Ah, well, the circumstances in which we got her are a bit… unusual, so we don't know exactly how old she is. The doctor we had examine her had to make an educated guess," Ventus explained, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand, a shopping basket clutched loosely in the other.

The woman looked conflicted about asking her next question. "So, she was abandoned?" Ventus nodded and she smiled solemnly. "That's a shame, but how lucky she was to have found someone as wonderful and caring as you."

"Yeah."

"Ven, are you almost done?" Terra called as he spotted him and dashed forward with a buggy full of streamers, tablecloths, plates, cups and about a million other things, some of which Ventus was positive were not on the list. "No way! You've only gotten two things? Wait, are those shoes for Muffin?"

"You're seriously not giving that nickname up, are you?" Ventus drawled. "And yes they are. Think they'll fit?"

"They look a little big."

"They're supposed to be, otherwise she'll only we able to wear them once."

The woman chuckled at them. "My name's Edgar, by the way. I work in the bakery Wednesday through Sunday if you ever want to stop by and talk," She told Ventus, smiling. She was gone before he could make a proper reply.

Terra blinked slowly as he stared at his brother. "I think she was hitting on you."

"What?! No!" Ventus sputtered, blushing once more, but once he actually thought about it, he wasn't so sure. Had she?

A smug grin spread across Terra's normally stoic face. "Oh, she likes you."

"I literally just met her!"

"And she likes you."

"Terra!" Ventus looked down at his near empty shopping basket and groaned. "I don't have time for this. I still have things I need to get."

"I've already gotten everything on my part of the list-"

"And quite a few things for yourself," Ventus deadpanned.

"Shut up, Ven. As I was saying, I'm pretty much done, so I'll help you out."

"It's fine. I won't take long. Go ahead and check out," Ventus told him. Terra shrugged before running off, jumping onto the buggy and riding it once he gained enough speed. Ventus chuckled. "Manchild"

"Anyhoo, the roof needs repairing, so the king needs somewhere else to throw her majesty's surprise party," Aqua finished explaining as she plopped Annabeth in the bouncer she'd dragged into the kitchen so that they could keep an eye on her as they put everything up. She glared at the can of silly string she pulled out of one of the bags. "Terra, why did you buy this."

"Personal reasons," the tall brunette replied defensively as he made to take it from her. The blue haired master went out of her way to play keep away with it.

"Oh, hell no," she retorted as she held it behind her back. This party is semi formal. You are not spraying anyone with this."

"I don't plan on using it at the party," Terra half whined, trying once more to retrieve his precious can of doom.

"No, you plan on using it on me," Ventus cut in, looking the very image of calm, the only visual indicator of his annoyance being the slight twitch of his eye.

A nervous chuckle escaped Terra then. "Whatever gave you that idea? I never said-"

"You're not stupid enough to use that on Aqua and Annabeth is too young, so that leaves me. I'm not an idiot, Terra," Ventus drawled as he went to stand next to Aqua. He tapped his wrist against hers and she discreetly passed him the can. He slipped it into his back pocket once he was sure Terra wasn't paying attention. He'd hide it in his room later and possibly use it against the older man the next time he pissed him off.

"So," Terra started, changing the subject. "When you say semi formal, do you mean suits or…?"

"Simple dress clothes with do just fine," Aqua told them. Half of Ventus's wardrobe was filled with clothes of that nature, so she wasn't worried about him. Terra on the other hand… She tilted her head to the side, resting her cheek on her palm. "Do you even own any dress clothes?" Terra opened his mouth and she was quick to cut him off. "That don't look like they're from feudal Japan?"

Terra's mouth continued to open and close like a fish for a good minute before he pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking his head. "I have a black sweater."

Aqua groaned. "The one with holes in it?"

"No, the other one. You know, the one Riku gave me last Christmas."

"That'll have to work," Aqua told him, turning her attention back to the mountain of bags piled on the table and the floor surrounding it. She wished Sora had stayed to help them put it all away, but he said he had to help his dad with something and that he was probably in trouble for bailing without telling anyone. She promptly shooed him off, telling him to go home as she did.

Annabeth cooed and Ventus glanced at her. "Does the dress code apply to babies?"

"Already got that covered," Aqua declared triumphantly as she pulled a frilled dressed seemingly out of thin air.

"Where did you pull that from?" Ventus muttered, his comment ignored.

"Isn't it cute?" Aqua half squealed as she practically shoved it in his face. She frowned, then. "I couldn't find any shoes to match, though."

"When did you buy that?" Terra asked, visibly confused.

"Yesterday, though I didn't know about the party yet. It was more or less bought on impulse," she explained as she placed it on a free spot on the table. After a few minutes of rummaging through bags she discovered the shoes, glancing at Ventus as a chuckle escaped her. "Speaking of impulse shopping."

"Don't you dare call this kettle black, Miss Pot," Ventus told her, his eyebrows shooting to his hairline warningly as he did.

"I'm not, I'm not," she laughed, tucking the shoes next to the dress. "Would you look at that. They match."

"Do you want me to put the decorations in the closet?" Terra asked as he collected all the decor bags. "It wouldn't make sense to go ahead and put them up until the day of the party, I wouldn't think."

"That's fine," Aqua called as she stared blankly at a group of bags containing nothing but ranch, each bottle a different flavor. She faintly recalled Sora mumbling about not knowing which kind to get and sighed. She'd have to fix a salad bowl for the party to keep it all from going to waste. She loved the kid, but by the stars was he a bad decision maker sometimes.

An audible groan escaped her as she discovered a bag filled to the brim with chip dip, each jar a different flavor, same as the ranch. This sure as hell explained why there were more bags than there should've been, It appeared as if the kid had used get one of everything as the solution to every item he wasn't sure about, which was almost everything. This going to take ages to sort out and put away.