A little over a month had passed since Kuu had dinner with Julie's family. The day after the dinner, Eltra had called Kuu to apologize for what had happened. Kuu had assured him that everything was fine between him and Julie, and that Lana and Cecil's questions hadn't hurt his feelings. They truly hadn't; as a celebrity, Kuu had been asked everything from his penis size to how he had been conceived. The questions that Julie's sister and her husband had fired off at him hadn't been that terrible in comparison.

Kuu pulled up to the curb at the hotel to pick Julie up for lunch. She was waiting there, wearing a gray, knee-length dress with light pink flowers all over it, with buttons down the front, and a cute sun hat. When she slid into the passenger's seat, Kuu gave her a kiss. "I hope you're hungry. I got us a reservation at one of the best places in town."

Julie smiled brightly at him. "I can't wait! I'm starved!"

He drove a few more blocks and then found a garage to park in. They walked down the street, hand-in-hand, to a small restaurant. When they entered, the host showed them to a table in the back corner. They picked up the menus and Julie giggled.

"An Italian restaurant in Japan? Not what I had expected."

Kuu smiled. "I love Italian food. Then again, I love any food."

Julie nodded. "Likewise."

The waiter came and took their orders, and they chatted while they waited.

"So," asked Kuu tentatively, "Have you spoken to your sister?" He knew that it had been a while since Julie had spoken to Lana. He also knew that it was bothering her, whether she said so or not.

Julie sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "She hasn't apologized for how she treated you, so no."

He frowned. "I'm sorry that you're having to deal with that."

She shook her head. "Don't be sorry. Lana has always been this way. I'm just tired of dealing with it. How's work? Have you had any more run-ins with Banana Girl?"

Kuu rolled his eyes. Aine's sexual advances had not let up, and had even gotten more bold after she turned 18 a couple of weeks prior. "She left her panties in my trailer on Saturday."

Julie huffed. "Can't Date-san do something about that?"

"Not unless he wants to implode his television show." Kuu reached over the table for Julie's hand, and she put her hand in his. "I promise you, nothing is going to happen between myself and that girl. Do you trust me?"

Julie frowned. "I do. I just wish she would stop."

"Tsukigomori is only going to film for a few more weeks, my love. After that's done, no more Banana Girl."

The waiter came back with their food and poured them some wine. They had each ordered lasagna, gnocchi with clams, fettuccine, and focaccia. As they ate, Julie began to feel ill. Her stomach bubbled uncomfortably and she covered her mouth with her hand.

Kuu saw the look on her face and put his fork down. "Julie, are you okay?"

Her stomach lurched, and she shook her head. She got up from her chair quickly and ran to the bathroom. Kuu made to follow her, but thought better of it. It wouldn't bode well for him to enter a women's bathroom. He fidgeted in his seat until she returned a few minutes later.

"Kuu, I don't feel well."

He threw a wad of cash on the table, more than enough to cover the bill, got up and took her hand. "Come on, I'll take you home."

As they walked down the street, they were passing a convenience store. "Do you mind if I go in and grab some antacids? I'll just be a minute."

"I'll come with you."

"No," she said, "I'll take care of it. You wait here."

He waited on the sidewalk outside. He wondered if maybe she had gone in alone so he wouldn't have to wait outside of a public bathroom for her to come out. He sighed and checked his watch. She hadn't been in long, but her being ill made him anxious. When she emerged from the store with a little shopping bag, she smiled at him.

"I'm okay, Kuu, you can relax."

Kuu smiled and took her hand. "I'm glad. Let's get you home so you can rest."

He drove her back to the hotel. When he pulled up to the curb, he turned to her, concerned. "Are you sure you don't need me to stay with you?"

"No, that's okay. I just want to go upstairs and sleep this off. Do you still want to have lunch on set tomorrow?"

"Of course I do. I'll see you then. Feel better, okay?"

They kissed, and she got out of the car.

Once Julie felt she was out of his sight, she power walked to the elevator. She jammed her finger nervously against the button for her floor and held a death grip on her little plastic bag so her hands wouldn't shake. She hadn't told Kuu, but she had felt ill for the last few days. At first, she blamed it on undercooked meat, then she blamed it on indigestion. Today, however, her heart was hammering in her chest as she made her way to her room.

When she got there, she locked the door and threw the door guard into place. She went directly into the bathroom and dumped the contents of her bag onto the counter. She had bought antacids, but she had also bought something especially secret; three pregnancy tests. She attempted to open the first box and succeeded in dropping it on the floor as her nerves unraveled. She retrieved it and read the directions on the back. Thankfully, it was simple. Pee in a cup, dip stick in the cup, wait 10 minutes, if the strip turns pink, I'm fucked, she thought, with a dry, nervous laugh.. She sat down on the toilet and urinated into the little plastic cup that came in the kit. When she finished, she took it over to the sink and dipped all three of the sticks she had bought into the sample she had collected. Then she placed them on the edge of the sink and paced the tiny bathroom.

What the fuck am I going to do if those things are pink?, she thought. How the hell do I tell Kuu? She didn't dare look at the strips as she paced. She thought about her options. Coming from a liberal family, she knew that an abortion was an option for her. She knew that if she truly wasn't ready, then her family wouldn't blame her. But could I do that? She thought of Kuu and his lack of family and shook her head. No. I can't do that. I couldn't do that to him if he wants it. Her mind flew over every scenario. But what if he doesn't want it and I do? Just because he wants kids someday sure as hell doesn't mean he wants one now. But do I want it? Could I really do this alone? Her nerves got the best of her and she vomited into the toilet again. She balled up some toilet paper and dabbed at her eyes. Oh god, what do I do?

The following day, Kuu checked his watch. Julie was late for lunch with him, and he was starting to worry. It was almost time for him to go back to set, and no word from her at all. There was a knock at his dressing room door, and his heart leapt. "Come in!"

His heart plummeted when Aine Yamada stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "I saw that your girlfriend hasn't shown up, so I thought you might be lonely, Hozu-san."

Kuu sighed. "Yamada-san, you need to leave. Now."

She stalked closer to the table. "Oh, but Hozu-san, I hate to think of you in here all alone on your lunch break. She's so cruel to stand you up like this."

"She hasn't stood me up. She called to let me know that something came up." It was a lie; she had stood him up. But she had to have a really good reason for doing so, right? Maybe she was still sick from the day before.

Aine leaned over the table he was sitting at. She was wearing a push-up bra and had undone three of her buttons to expose her cleavage. Kuu averted his eyes. "Yamada-san, please leave."

"But Shuuhei–"

"That is too informal, Yamada-san. I am your senpai." He got up from the table and headed for the door. "If you won't leave, then I will."

He left the room and went back to set early.

They shot for a few more hours. Finally, at the end, the Director drew back from his camera and sighed. "Cut! Hozu-san, what gives?"

Kuu had pulled an NG for the sixth time in less than an hour, which was entirely unlike him. As the day wore on, he kept thinking about Julie, and it was showing in his expressions, his gestures, and even the tone of his voice. He sighed and approached the Director. He bowed deeply. "I am terribly sorry, Hirotaka."

The Director shook his head. "That's it for today. I want you to go home, get some rest, get your head on right, and come back tomorrow and do better."

Kuu winced, but nodded. "Yes, sir."

Kuu went back to his dressing room, got out of his costume and into his clothes, grabbed his car keys, and headed for the parking garage. Home and rest could wait. He wasn't tired, he was worried, and the only cure would be seeing Julie and making sure that she was okay.

He drove across town to her hotel, gave his keys to the valet, and headed inside. When he got to her door, he knocked. When there was no answer, he knocked harder. "Julie? Are you in there?" He waited a moment and then the panic set in. He knocked again. "Julie, did I do something wrong? Can we talk?" He looked down both sides of the hall. She's probably not even fucking here, he thought. You're making yourself look like an ass. Go home, call her later.

He turned to leave, took a few steps, and then the door opened behind him.

"Kuu. Wait."

He turned around to find Julie's head sticking out the door. Her face was pale, and her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. Kuu approached her. "Julie, what happened today? Where were you? Are you okay?"

She opened the door and let him in, and then shut it behind him and locked it. She walked past him down the short hallway to go and stand by the bar. Her arms were tight around her body, as though if she let go of herself, she'd fall apart. "Kuu, I'm really sorry."

He came to stand before her. "Julie, it's okay. I just don't understand what happened. I missed you. Why didn't you come to see me?"

She shut her eyes. He thought for a moment that she might be sick. "Do you remember when we went to Dayjowey Land? And you said that if you had a son, you would name him after your grandfather?"

Kuu blinked. "...Yes, of course I do. Why do you ask?"

"Because," she sobbed, "You might want to pick out a girl's name so we have options."

Kuu stared at her for a moment as the tumblers in his mind fell into place to unlock the true meaning behind her statement. Shit. Shit shit shit, was the only thought that registered. Then he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks, and his body moved. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly and rested his chin on top of her head as she wept into the front of his shirt. He ran a shaking hand over her blonde waves, down her back. "It's okay, Julie. It's going to be okay." But he didn't know that. He couldn't possibly know that. He was as clueless as she was.

"It's not okay, Kuu. I ruined everything for you," she sniffed.

He looked down and kissed the tears on her cheeks. "No, Julie. You haven't ruined anything."

"You're not mad?"

At that, he let out a shaky laugh. "I'm not mad, my love. I'm in total fucking shock, but not mad. I could never be mad." He pulled away from her, but he kept his hands on hers. "Did you go to a doctor? What happened?"

"I bought a pregnancy test yesterday after I got sick. I haven't been to a doctor yet, but I took three tests, and they're all positive. I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow to confirm it."

Kuu took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He felt suddenly light headed. Holy fucking shit. He took a beat to collect himself."Do you want me to go with you?"

She paused for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, please. I'm so fucking scared, Kuu."

He pulled her against his chest again and kissed the top of her head. "I don't want you to worry, Julie. If you are pregnant, I'm not going anywhere. I'll take care of you, I promise."

"Would you want it, Kuu? The baby?"

His tearful smile almost broke her heart. "A baby with you? Who wouldn't want a baby with you?"

He pulled away from her for a moment and grabbed her phone. "Kuu, who are you calling!? Don't tell anyone about this!"

He shook his head. "I'm calling the Director to tell him I'm not coming in tomorrow, that an emergency came up. I won't tell anyone what's going on until we're ready." He called the Director and made his excuses. Date was unhappy, but Kuu would be goddamned before he let his girlfriend go alone to confirm whether or not he was going to be a father.

The next morning, they went to the hospital. They took a blood sample from Julie and told them that they would call with the results in two days. This had been a massive blow to both of them. They had been hoping for an instantaneous answer. Those two days passed slower than any that Kuu had ever lived through. He had been able to get through his scenes for Tsukigomori, but only barely. He had hardly slept as he came to grips with the fact that he was probably going to be a father. His own father had learned of his mother's pregnancy and skipped town. Kuu had never sought the man out; there was no point. Anything and everything that he had needed had been given to him freely by his grandparents and his mother, and he was grateful. If nothing else, he thought, I will be a better father than my father was to me. On the second day, Kuu got off of work and headed directly to the hotel. When he got there, Julie let him into her room.

"So," he said quietly, "What did they say?"

Julie swallowed. "We're having a baby." Kuu had expected to feel real panic at those words, but instead a calm settled over him. It was real now. It was definite, and he was determined.

Kuu pulled her in for a hug. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Are you okay?"

Kuu smiled. "I'm excited."

She smiled back at him. "Are you really?"

He kissed her forehead. "Really." He went down on his knee and pressed the side of his face against her abdomen. "Hi, Kuon," he whispered.

Julie laughed. "You don't even know that it's a boy yet!"

Kuu looked up at her and grinned. "Of course it's a boy!"

Julie shook her head at him. "And if it's a girl?"

"Then I'd love her just the same, but I'm telling you, this is my son."

Julie laughed. "Well, I guess we'll find out in 10 weeks. They want to see me back in two weeks for the first ultrasound. Judging by the date of my last period, they're assuming I'm about 5 weeks along."

Kuu stood up and hugged her again. "When do you want to tell everyone?"

Julie looked at her feet. "I don't know. I don't think they're going to be as excited as we are."

He pressed his forehead to hers. "It's going to be okay no matter what they think." He pulled away and looked suddenly serious. "It might help their opinion, though, if we have a plan in place."

"A plan?"

"You were only supposed to be here until September. Now we have a baby to think about. We have to figure out where we're going to live, and when we're getting married."

Julie took a step back from him. "Whoa, Kuu, hold on. That's a lot right now." Marriage had seemed like a fairytale ending for them a week ago, but now it was a scary idea. Julie had imagined the party, the white dress, the cake, the music, the fun. But now it was sinking in that marriage was forever. Marriage was staying in Japan with Kuu. Marriage was leaving her father and mother and LA.

Kuu frowned. "I know it is, Julie, but it's something that we absolutely have to think about now. We have 8 months until the baby gets here. I know that seems like a long time right now, but…"

She shut her eyes and sighed. "I know. But right now, Kuu, I need time to just process this."

He considered that for a moment and then nodded. "You're right." He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I just really don't want to fuck this up." He was thinking of Eltra as he said that.

Julie took his hand. "You're not. Just… give me some time to get myself together, and then we can talk about all of the hard stuff. Okay?"

He kissed her forehead. "Okay."

Two weeks later, they walked hand-in-hand into the clinic. Kuu was wearing his patented baseball cap and sunglasses disguise. They had taken a taxi instead of the Jag. All he would need would be for one paparazzo to take a picture of him entering a hospital with his new girlfriend to drop a bomb on their lives. They checked in and the front desk and waited in the waiting room to be called back.

A nurse peeked her head out of the door. "Julie Duris?"

They followed the nurse back down a hall into an exam room. She took Julie's blood pressure, asked her a few questions, made notes on her notepad, gave Julie a paper gown to change into, and then told them the doctor would be with them soon. She had raised an eyebrow at Kuu with his sunglasses on indoors, but said nothing as she exited the room.

Julie changed, and a few minutes later, the doctor came in. He shook their hands. "So, we're here for the first ultrasound, correct?"

Julie nodded. "Yeah… I've never had one before. Will it hurt?"

The doctor shook his head. "It shouldn't. It might be a little uncomfortable, but not painful."

After explaining the procedure, he had her lay back on the exam table and put her feet in some stirrups. He inserted the probe of the ultrasound machine and Julie pulled a face that almost made Kuu laugh.

The doctor moved around a bit until he found what he was looking for on his screen. "Ah, there's the little tyke. And there's the heartbeat."

Kuu and Julie didn't have to see it; they could hear it. The rapid thump thump thump filled the room, making them both smile.

The Doctor turned the screen so they could see. He pointed out the sac that the embryo was inside, and then pointed to a white blob inside of it. "That's your baby."

Kuu raised his eyebrow. "That's my kid?" It looked like a Rorschach blot to Kuu. Rather fitting as the events of the last three weeks had begun to drive him nuts.

Julie's hand went over her mouth. "That's our baby, Kuu." She was crying, not sure if she was excited, scared, elated, or sad all at once. There was so much uncertainty, but the only thing she knew for certain was that she would do anything for that tiny blot on the screen.

Kuu took her hand and kissed it. Though he couldn't tell what was what on the screen, he was still excited about the new life they had created, and happy to share the moment with her.

They made an appointment for a month later to check the progress of the pregnancy and they left. When they made it into the back of the taxi, Julie pulled the ultrasound pictures out of her purse and caressed them with her thumb.

Kuu chuckled. "It feels a lot more real now, doesn't it?"

Julie nodded and wiped her eyes with her hand. "Yeah," she said, "It does."