Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, than you should not read this.

Chapter216

Everything was frozen for an instant. Mizore was afraid her heart would never start beating again. Tsukune's hand was warm under hers, warm against her abdomen. His expression was blank as her words echoed in his ears. Mizore was filled with hope and fear. This could be the end of her relationship with Tsukune. This could be the start of something new and wonderful with him. The instant between heartbeats seemed to go on forever.

Tsukune did not now what he should be feeling at that moment. There was a huge sense of relief. The fear that Mizore was finally going to give up on him for the sake of an arranged marriage had been blasted away. At the same time Tsukune was aware of the weight of what Mizore had said.

She was pregnant...

She was his lover...

Her baby was his...

He didn't think he was ready to be a father...

He had ruined her life...

He had ruined his own life...

Moka would be hurt...

Tsukune's mind started processing in whole thoughts again. He remembered Moka's words. Moka had told him that she had approved of Mizore's decision. Moka knew about Mizore's decision to have his baby. That meant that Mizore and Moka had talked about it. Mizore had deliberately set out to get pregnant. He remembered the last night they had made love back at school. Mizore knew Tsukune wanted to establish himself, to be able to be a good and supportive father before he had any children. She had decided that she was not going to wait and to get pregnant now.

Tsukune thought things through as carefully as he could while his emotions threatened to get the better of him. Mizore had decided to get pregnant with his baby without asking him first. Moka had known, and approved, without asking him first. Mizore had admitted that she had been acting out of some fear over something. Tsukune knew that if he was faced with losing any of the women he loved he was likely to do something rash, and had proven the point time and again. Logic and emotion battled each other within him. Tsukune remembered what Moka had said and tried to put it into practice.

"Mizore," Tsukune said in a level tone.

"Tsukune..." Mizore's lip was starting to tremble.

"Congratulations," Tsukune offered her a small smile. "I know this means a lot to you."

"You're not angry with me?" Mizore asked.

"I don't know how I feel right now," Tsukune said, pulling his hand away from her.

"Do you hate me?" Mizore asked with fear in her eyes and voice.

"No," Tsukune said. "I don't hate you." He took a deep breath and blew it out while scrubbing his hands through his hair.

"Tsu..." Mizore's voice faltered.

"Who else?" Tsukune asked.

"What?" Mizore blinked.

"Who else knows that we're going to have a baby?" Tsukune asked.

Mizore thought that she would melt with relief. Tsukune had said 'we.' He was willing to accept the baby as his, and her with it.

"I..." Mizore blushed. "The whole village knows." Mizore have him an embarrassed smile. "When I built our house..."

"I understand," Tsukune said as he stood up. "But that's not what I meant. Moka warned me that you had made a decision. She obviously knew. Anybody else? Do any of our other friends know?"

"No," Mizore answered. She gave a little shake of her head. "I talked with Moka before... But after, I haven't had the chance to tell her."

"I'm going to have to think about this," Tsukune said with a sigh.

"Tsukune?" Mizore questioned as she got to her feet.

"Mizore," Tsukune said even as he reached out and embraced her. "I love you... But this..."

"I'm sorry," Mizore said in a small voice. She had stepped into Tsukune's arms and held him close, pressing her face against his chest. "I didn't want to..."

"I know this is something you wanted," Tsukune said. "And I want you to be happy."

"Thank you," Mizore sniffed.

"But I still need some time to think about how I feel about all of this," Tsukune said.

"Alright," Mizore gave a small nod as she started to step out of Tsukune's embrace. "I understand."

"I just need some time to think about everything," Tsukune said, his voice still low and his shoulders stiff. "We'll be able to talk about it together next week."

"Next week?" Mizore questioned.

"Aiko's ball?" Tsukune reminded her. "If you come over a day early we will have some time to talk. Besides, Ruby will want to have a chance to fit you for the costume she's making for you."

"A costume for me?" Mizore blinked.

"Yes," Tsukune said as he turned for the door. "I'm sure you have your own ideas for a costume, but Ruby wanted to at least try to put together a themed set for all of us."

"Oh..." Mizore said. She had been so preoccupied with getting her house built and worrying about what Tsukune would say about it and her pregnancy, that masquerade ball had slipped her mind.

"I'll see you then," Tsukune said as he slipped away.

XxxxxxX

Tsukune kept his emotions held in as he mounted Hiru. The trip out of the village was much faster than the ride in. Tsukune was feeling hurt and angry, and really did not want to surrounded by a bunch of women that saw him as some kind of prey because of what was between his legs. When he reached the jumping point to leave the area the heavy growl that filled the air was equal parts Tsukune and Hiru's engine.

Tsukune did not head for home. Once he was away from Mizore and wasn't worried about scaring her or accidentally hurting her feelings, he let himself feel what he had been bottling up. The extra energy of his emotional turmoil flowed into Hiru, and she use it to boost her speed. Before he realized it, Tsukune found himself speeding down a coastal highway, passing cars as if they were standing still. He didn't slow down until after the next jump.

Tsukune was not in a hurry to get anywhere. He didn't even have anyplace specific to go to. Originally his plan had been to spend the night with Mizore, but that wasn't going to happen after what he had discovered. Tsukune just kept riding while he tried to work through his feelings. Eventually he found a place where he could stop. A park with a restroom, where he could relieve and refresh himself, and where he could take some time to check his map. Tsukune wanted to do something other than just ride around aimlessly. With a check of the map and the time, Tsukune decided where he should go.

XxxxxxxXxx

Kurumu was glad her work day was over. Considering how small of a part she was playing, and how little time she had to be on the set, she felt that her time was being wasted by having to hang around the studio all day. Of course knowing that being on the set all day was inhibiting her from being with Tsukune did not help her mood. If that director's assistant had tried to hit on her one more time, Kurumu would have had to put min in his place. She had an illusion all worked up in her mind, fueled by her frustrations, that she would have pushed into that nasty little assistant's mind. By the end of the day, Kurumu was almost hoping the idiot would try something. It would have given her some sense of satisfaction to take her frustration out on him. The illusion she had worked out would traumatize him so bad he would probably never want to talk to a girl again.

Kurumu was just opening her front door when her frustrations were suddenly pushed from her mind. Tsukune's presence was suddenly very close. Kurumu had felt him moving around, jumping around for half the day, but always somewhere very distant. But the way his presence had surged into her awareness told her that he had just jumped in close to her home, and that didn't make sense at all.

Kurumu knew where the closest jumping off places were to her home. A pair of them were practically useless because they only connected to each other, and they didn't even provide a useful shortcut around traffic. The one she used when she wanted to go anywhere took her about three hundred kilometers to the south-west, to an area that was rich with jumping off points all within a half hour of each other. The closest jump point connected to someplace in the China Sea, where there was nothing on any map but water.

Yet somehow it seemed that Tsukune had just arrived through that illogical jumping point. She didn't know how he had used it, but now he was only a block away... And he was coming closer.

"Oh crap," Kurumu was filled with a sense of urgency. She needed to clean herself up. She needed to prepare something for dinner. Kurumu started to rush to her bedroom to change. "No... Wait..." She changed her mind and hurried to the kitchen to check what was available to make dinner. She had not gone shopping recently because she had been busy with work, and her mother almost never ate at home unless it was with Kurumu. She thought about calling for a quick grocery delivery and stalling Tsukune. She was sure she could distract him with the right outfit. "My clothes..." She started for the bedroom again and pulled at her clothes.

Kurumu froze in mid step. She had caught a whiff of tobacco smoke. She had been around smokers all day, and she realized that her hair and clothes must smell like cigarettes.

"Damnit," Kurumu cursed. She needed to wash her hair. She hurried into the bathroom, throwing her clothes towards the laundry basket.

"I know..." Kurumu paused as she reached for the tap.

In nothing but her underwear she ran back out to the front room. She had a simple but brilliant plan. She would call Tsukune and ask him to run to the store before coming up to see her. It was a perfect plan, nice and simple. She could stall Tsukune so she would have time to clean up. The only question was what to ask Tsukune to get. Phone in hand, she returned to the kitchen. It took a moment but she found a pen and a piece of paper. A short list of things should delay Tsukune long enough, Kurumu reasoned. She started a search of the cupboards and the refrigerator and started to put a list together.

It was a good plan, but Kurumu came upon it a little late. She forgot some important points in her near panic over Tsukune's unexpected arrival. She forgot how quickly Tsukune could travel, with or without Hiru, and he was only block away. She forgot that long ago her mother had put Tsukune on the official guest list, so the doormen all knew to send him on up with all courtesy and expediency. Kurumu forgot that Tsukune honestly loved and cared about her, and could feel her emotional state. When Tsukune felt her suddenly becoming very agitated, almost frightened, he worried about her safety. Not wanting to let anybody possibly hurt her in any way, he felt a need to hurry to make sure that she was safe, and to save her if she wasn't.

Kurumu was about to call Tsukune with her list, but it was too late. Tsukune knocked at the door, making her fumble and nearly drop her phone.

"Who is it?" Kurumu called out.

"It's me," Tsukune answered through the door. "Are you alright?"

"Just a moment," Kurumu called back. She abandoned her list and phone on the counter and snatched up her apron. It wasn't much, but it offered a little covering. In hindsight, she wasn't shy about showing off her body to Tsukune, but at that moment she was feeling too off balance, too unprepared. With her front covered, Kurumu went to answer the door.

"Tsukune..." Kurumu protested as she pulled the door open. "You're horrible to surprise a woman like..." her words faltered as she took in the sight of Tsukune. Her own face became serious as she took in the tightness around his eyes and tension in his body.

"I'm sorry," Tsukune apologized. "I just needed somebody to talk to. If it's a bad..."

"Get in here," Kurumu cut him and and reached out to pull him into the apartment. Her own worries and frustrations were forgotten as she tended to Tsukune. She helped him out of his jacket and deposited him in a chair at the dinning table. "Tsukune, what's wrong?" Kurumu asked as she fussed over him. "You look terrible. You sit her and tell me what's happened while I make us some tea."

"I'm sorry to bother you like this," Tsukune said. "But I needed to talk to somebody, but not just anybody. I needed to talk to somebody close to me. Somebody I could trust..."

"What happened?" Kurumu asked in a worried voice. There was a hurt tone in Tsukune's voice that she had not heard since their first year of school together. It was the way he had sounded when he thought Moka had abandoned him after his first episode of becoming a ghoul.

"I went to see Mizore today," Tsukune explained. "She invited me to her village because she had started living alone and wanted to show me the house she had made."

"She was probably hoping you would like it enough to go live with her," Kurumu tried to sound calm as she prepared a tea service. She knew that both Mizore's and her own mother had a habit of making him feel pressured. Suddenly she wished she had gotten her own place as well.

"Yes," Tsukune agreed. "At least part of the time. She's told me before that she wanted to keep a home where I could visit whenever I wanted. That was what she had built; a house where she could take care of me when I visit, and a home she could raise a family." He gave an angry snort. "Family..."

"What?" Kurumu asked.

"Mizore decided that she couldn't wait," Tsukune said. "She and I have talked about it. Kurumu, you and I have talked about it. I would love to have a family with ether of you, but first I have to make sure I can do the right thing and be able to actually take care of a family. Hell! We only graduated a week and a half ago."

"Did Mizore try to pressure you into starting a family?" Kurumu asked, half guessing. "You know children are important to her people."

"I know," Tsukune sighed. "But I thought she respected me more than this though."

"She's not trying to build a career or go to school," She had to get her little digs in to point out how she was a better mach for Tsukune than Mizore. However, Kurumu wanted to defend her friend in spite of their rivalry. "I'm sure Mizore is just feeling eager because she doesn't have..."

"She's pregnant," Tsukune said.

"What!?" Kurumu exclaimed. Her hands stopped working,

CRASH

The tea service hit the floor. The pot shattered and the other dishes scattered and spilled, chipping and cracking.

"Tsukune..." Kurumu's voice dropped to a whisper.

"I know I'm responsible too," Tsukune growled. "I knew this could happen when I gave in and let myself make love to her, or you, or.. or... Damn it!" He slammed a fist down on the table. "But this wasn't an accident. This wasn't a consequence of being weak."

"Are you sure?" Kurumu asked, her hands were shaking and her insides felt cold."

"Mizore is pregnant with my child," Tsukune said in a measured voice. "She decided that she could not wait until I was ready. She decided that she was going to have our first child right now."

"But..." Kurumu felt angry and betrayed. Mizore was her rival for Tsukune, but this was something so two-faced... so...

"Apparently something happened," Tsukune went on. "She wouldn't tell me what had happened, but it frightened her so bad that she went to Moka and got permission to get pregnant."

"Erk..." A muscle in Kurumu's face started to make her eye twitch.

"So Moka," Tsukune said. "Who knows how important it is for me to be able to do the right thing and be responsible, agreed with Mizore's decision to go home and have children, my children, while I was still trying to build a life I could be proud of and could use to support a family properly."

Kurumu now understood exactly what was wrong. She had felt betrayed by Mizore's decision. If she felt angry and hurt, she could only imagine what it must be like for Tsukune. Two people he loved and trusted had gone behind his back, deciding something important without letting him know.

"Tsukune..." Kurumu felt herself on the edge of tears.

"This is a mess," Tsukune growled. "I love Mizore and I want her to be happy, and I know that this is something that will make her happy, but what about sharing responsibility? If Mizore is going to be raising my child, I should be able to help her. I should be there when they get older..." He gave Kurumu a hurt look. "I remember playing with my father. I remember family dinners and trips over the holidays. I didn't want to have any children until I could be there for them like that." He got up from the chair and moved into the kitchen. "My father taught me by example that a man is somebody that can take care of his family." He knelt down and started cleaning up the tea service.

Kurumu watched Tsukune and felt her heart ache. He was hurting, feeling betrayed, and he was still looking for a way to do what he felt was right. He had every right to be angry, but in spite of his own pain, he was still being thoughtful. He had just found out that Mizore was pregnant, and he was already worried about being a good father.

Kurumu considered the situation carefully. Before she said anything, she wanted to be sure it was the right thing. She helped him clean up the kitchen. It wasn't until they were finally both seated at the table with tea in hands that she said anything.

"Tsukune," Kurumu said carefully. "I am sure nobody meant to hurt you." She was proud of that sentence. It was not accusing Moka or Mizore of anything. She could not be seen as making an attack against ether of them when Tsukune was already unhappy with what they had done.

"Does it matter?" Tsukune asked in a flat voice, giving Kurumu and equally flat look. "It doesn't change anything." He shook his head and emotions started to show on his face again. "You never meant to fall in love with me, but you did. Should I stop being happy that you love me because you didn't mean to?" He shook his head again. "Intentions count sometimes, but there is more than that in this case."

"When you found out," Kurumu asked carefully. "What did you say to Mizore?"

"Nothing really," Tsukune sighed. "I told her that I understood it was important to her, and congratulated her, but that I needed time to think about it."

"What about Moka?" Kurumu questioned.

"I haven't been home to talk to her yet," Tsukune answered.

Kurumu felt as if Tsukune's words had knocked the wind out of her. She was stunned for several seconds, and then she realized that she was filled with excited joy. Tsukune had come to her before Moka. When he had first arrived, Tsukune had said he needed to talk to somebody he trusted. Right in that moment, she was first. He trusted her at a time he didn't trust Mizore or Moka. He had decided that he wanted to be with her more than anybody else. She blinked a few times to clear her vision and realized that Tsukune was watching her.

"What?" Kurumu asked.

"I was just thinking how cute you are when you're so happy," Tsukune said in a dry tone. "I'm not sure why you're so happy though."

"I am happy," Kurumu explained as she tried to get control of her smile. "Because when something very important happened and you needed somebody to talk to, you came to me. It proves that I am important to you, and that you value my company and what I have to say."

"I feel the same way," Tsukune said. "It has always made me feel good to know that you want to be with me, even in the beginning when you kept trying to come between Moka and I." His face darkened again. "That's a part of the reason I'm so angry right now. Why was it that how I felt became so unimportant that I was left out of such an important decision?"

"But Tsukune," Kurumu asked. "Would you have agreed if you had been asked?"

"I don't know," Tsukune answered with a pained look. "I don't know, because I don't know why. Mizore said that something had frightened her..."

Kurumu realized that she knew why Mizore had become so desperate to have Tsukune's baby. She had been there at the same time that Mizore had learned that Inari had lost the ability to be a mother, and it had been by an injury that was almost minor compared to some that ether of the Black and White Duet could have suffered over the years. Her flash of insight must have been reflected on her face or through her bond with Tsukune, because he had stopped talking. She saw that he was watching her sharply.

"Tsukune," Kurumu said carefully. "I think I know what motivated Mizore to do what she did. If I'm right, it may be a part of the reason Moka agreed to it, and why nobody said anything to you."

"What was it?" Tsukune asked.

"I.." Kurumu looked away. "I shouldn't tell you. It involves somebody else, and what happened to them. It should be up to them for you to know or not."

"Is this other person somebody I know?" Tsukune asked.

"Yes," Kurumu nodded.

"And you say Moka knows about this, person also?" Came Tsukune's next question.

"Yes," Kurumu answered.

Tsukune leaned back with a frown. He took a sip of tea and gave a sigh. He considered what he knew carefully. Moka's words of caution came back to him.

"Let's pretend that we have a friend," Tsukune said. "And that friend had wanted to be an idol."

"Alright," Kurumu blinked, trying to follow Tsukune's thinking. She watched him, but he was still frowning at the cup of tea in his hands.

"Because this friend isn't actually any competition for you," Tsukune went on. "You would have no reason to not help them."

"Alright," Kurumu nodded.

"And the rest of us would try to support them, because we are all friends," Tsukune said.

"Sure," Kurumu agreed.

"But then something happened and our friend took a job that turned out to be something really embarrassing," Tsukune continued. "And you knew about it. You would try to protect them by not letting the rest of us know."

"Maybe," Kurumu replied.

"But if one of us found out that what had happened but you didn't, and that it happened, accidentally, because of something you did or said," Tsukune said. "That person might try to protect you from feeling responsible, and to protect the friend from the embarrassment, by not telling you what had happened."

"Ummmmm," Kurumu was having a hard time keeping up. "Sure."

"Mizore said she couldn't tell me because what had frightened her was for somebody else to tell me, because it had happened to them," Tsukune said to Kurumu, looking up at last. "I can respect that."

"You're not angry at me for not telling you?" Kurumu asked nervously.

"No," Tsukune gaver her a small shake of his head and a tired smile. "I am glad that the people I love can be so loyal and caring. No..." Tsukune sighed. "What I am upset about is that nether Moka or Mizore had enough respect or consideration for me to let me know something was wrong, or that there was something they wanted from me."

"Tsukune," Kurumu asked. "What if it was me?"

"Excuse me?" Tskune blinked.

"What if I had one chance to make my career a success," Kurumu said. "What if, to make everything come together, school, work, whatever, if I miss this chance to will all be for nothing, but I need you to help me, would you?"

"You know I would do anything I could to help you, Kurumu," Tsukune answered with confidence.

"But what if..." Kurumu went on. "What if what I needed was for you to go on television with me, to stand with me for a wedding scene, to make everybody believe we were really getting married. You would be giving up some of your privacy, and even some of your freedom, because you have to keep up the image by not being seen out on a date with Moka for a while."

"I would need Moka's permission," Tsukune said. "Because it would involve her."

"That's the only thing that would hold you back?" Kurumu asked. "You're going to be working for the police. Being seen on television might hurt your career. You could have trouble doing undercover work."

"No," Tsukune shook his head. "I wouldn't be worried about that. I would need Moka's approval because it would involve her in some ways, but I would want to do it because it would be important to you, and I love you and want you to be happy."

"So if Mizore had explained her reasoning to you in advance," Kurumu pressed on as she tried to keep her happiness at Tsukune's words under control. "And Moka had told you that she agreed that you could do it. Would you have been willing to give Mizore a child?"

"If..." Tsukune said. "If Mizore had explained her feelings to me, I would have done something to help her. Maybe it would have been to make a baby with her, maybe some other answer could have been found. I mean, if I wasn't willing to ever have children with her, then why was I willing to make love to her in the first place?"

"Does that mean you and I..." Kurumu couldn't help but feel excited.

"Someday," Tsukune said firmly. "When my career is stable so I can be a good father."

"Oh..." Kurumu's vision started to blur with happy tears.

"But I do see what you're saying," Tsukune said before she could get too caught up in her own excitement. "And I am more upset about being tricked and... and... and not being even considered important enough to be asked first." He finished his cup of tea and set it down with a sigh.

"I suppose you'll be able to forgive them for what they did," Kurumu said with a small sigh of her own. A part of her wished that Tsukune would be able to turn away from the two others after what had happened, just so she wouldn't have to share him any more.

"I kind of have to," Tsukune said. "I still love them. And now there is a baby on the way. If I can't do right by my first child, how can I consider ever having another?"

"I guess now you're going to want to go and talk with Moka," Kurumu sighed.

"No," Tsukune shook his head. "I don't think I should. At least, not yet."

"Why not?" Kurumu asked.

"Well I am still upset with her right now," Tsukune said. "But more importantly than that, Kurumu, I intruded on you without warning, bothered you with my problems..."

"It's not a bother," Kurumu cut in. "I will always be here for you."

"I know," Tsukune gave her a smile that actually had warmth to it. "But after all of that, I should at lease do something to thank you for being here. Besides..." His smile widened into a grin. "You've been sitting there in an apron and your underwear, so there must be something you were hoping to do when you felt me coming."

"Tsukune..." Kurumu protested as she remembered her own state, and her earlier frustrations.

"Why don't we get cleaned up," Tsukune said. "And then we can do something for dinner."

"Why Tsukune," Kurumu smiled. "What a wonderful idea."