Baby Mine

Chapter Four

“A blue negative means not pregnant and a pink positive sign means I’m pregnant. Well, let’s find out what I am,” Ryoko muttered to herself that night as she read the box of the pregnancy test. She knew she couldn’t take too long in the bathroom since Tenchi had been sensing when she was not in bed lately, so she knew if she took too long, Tenchi would become worried and start looking for her. Ten minutes later, Ryoko looked at the test and sighed. It was a pink positive sign; she was pregnant. Well, now all she had to do was break the news to Tenchi.

Oh kami, what was his reaction going to be? Grabbing her trash, Ryoko hurried out of the bathroom and downstairs to throw the test and any evidence of it away so that no one would see it. The last thing she needed was for one of the girls, especially Ayeka, to find out that she was pregnant. Once the box and test were safely hidden in the trashcan, Ryoko hurried back upstairs and slipped back into her bed where Tenchi was still sleeping. She curled up next against him with a sigh and felt him wrap an arm around her waist with a slight moan.

“Where were you?” he mumbled against her hair as he pulled her closer to him.

“The bathroom. I really had to go,” Ryoko answered softly.

“Mmmm.”

* * *

Thursday arrived and Ryoko was getting ready to meet Minako for lunch at a little Mexican restaurant called “Calientes” in town. She pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans, a white tank top and a light blue button down over shirt. She slipped on a pair of white Keds and ran a hair brush through her spiky hair. Grabbing her purse, a Christmas gift from Mihoshi, she hurried downstairs and ran out the door. She made it just in time to catch the bus into town and she sighed with relief once she was seated. She had told Sasami last night after dinner that she wouldn’t be there for lunch today so she felt better about leaving with out saying bye to anyone.

“So, are you pregnant?” Minako asked as soon as they were both seated in Calientes.

“Hai, now I just need to tell Tenchi and I don’t know how,” Ryoko answered putting her napkin in her lap.

“Okay, I suggest the best way would be to tell him that you need to speak privately with him about something and then get him alone and tell him.”

“That’s just it. Trying to get Tenchi alone with me like that is not as easy as it sounds. You remember how I told you there were other girls involved? Well, they are the problem.”

“Oh, yeah, tell me about that,” Minako said as she sipped her water.

“Well, there are six of us. Myself, my rival for Tenchi’s affections Ayeka, her younger and adorable sister Sasami, two young police officers named Mihoshi and Kiyone and my mother Washu. We all came for different reasons but Tenchi welcomed us each into his home without a second thought. His house is a shrine, though I guess it’s more like a boarding house now. I was alone and trying to forget about my disturbing past. Ayeka was looking for a lost family member who she found out was dead and her sister had been with her. Kiyone and Mihoshi are partners but haven’t had the best of luck with their job and my mother found me at Tenchi’s and has been staying there because she has no where else to go. I had run away from my controlling...“father” and my mother had gotten away shortly after me. I just thank Kami that he’s dead now, so now my mother and I were free from his torture. And Tenchi was always there for me and the other girls no matter what.

“That’s what I love about him. He doesn’t really judge us girls for our pasts. But that’s also what I hate about him. I know he loves all of us girls but it’s the love of a friend or even a sister and, well that’s not what I want. Ayeka wants the same as me, Tenchi’s love as a lover. So we tend to fight a lot and that aggravates Tenchi to no end. I’ve tried to stop fighting and I think its working but Ayeka just doesn’t seem to get it so she still tries to start fights. I think Tenchi notices that I’m not biting Ayeka’s bait so he hasn’t been as mean to me but I still think he’s in love with Ayeka.”

“Why? If she starts the fights why would he love her more?” Minako asked as she bit into a corn chip.

“She’s always been more genteel. She’s beautiful and regal while I’m not. I’ve always been more coarse and blunt. I’ve never been very good with manners and I’ve not been what you would consider a ladylike woman. That’s Ayeka’s department. She would make a better wife for Tenchi than I ever could,” Ryoko explained as she fiddled with her silver ware.

“Well, then why does he come to you at night? From what you’ve told my about him he sounds like the type of guy that wouldn’t just sleep around.”

“He’s not but, well, I’ve always flirted with him and given him the impression that I was experienced in the sex department so I guess when he came home from college he believed that since he was changing then he could get laid without having to worry about making a real commitment. I seemed to be experienced so he came to me. Ayeka would never be willing to have a sexual relationship with Tenchi without a wedding ring on her finger. So this doesn’t mean Tenchi loves me, I’m just a convenient sex toy.”

“Whoa, hold on there, Ryoko. That’s not giving you or Tenchi enough credit. I may not know the two of you very well right now but from what I’ve learned so far, I have not gotten the impression that you are a quick lay. Plus, from what you have told me about Tenchi, he’s not the type to use you in that way. I think he has deeper feelings for you than you think.”

Ryoko shrugged. “Maybe or maybe he’s just giving me what I wanted: a child of my own. Maybe I shouldn’t be complaining since I’ve gotten sex with him and a child.”

“No, Ryoko that is NOT what you want. I know you want his love and you shouldn’t settle for anything less. If he’s going to do this to you then you deserve to have his love with it. Now, let’s figure out how to tell Tenchi about his child. What do you think he’ll do when he knows?”

“Most likely offer to marry me, but then he would do the same with any of the other girls if the same thing happened to them.”

“Well, then tell him you don’t want that. Maybe that will get him to realize that you are not who he thinks you are. What about your mother? Why don’t you tell her about the baby first and maybe she can give a better suggestion on how to tell Tenchi. The only thing I can think of is what I suggested before and that is to somehow get him alone and tell him. Maybe telling him that it’s something important will allow you to get him alone without having to worry about Ayeka getting in the way. Remind him that he would listen to her if she had something important to tell him so he should give the same courtesy to you.” Minako smiled as she took a bit of her enchilada when it arrived.

“That may be the only way to do this. At least my mother will know and will be able to help me with the baby,” Ryoko agreed as she made herself a beef fajita.

For the rest of their lunch, they talked about what was the best way to take care of a baby and what were the best baby items. Ryoko left the restaurant with numerous helpful hints on how to raise her baby when he or she was born. It was late in the afternoon when she stepped off the bus at the bus stop near the Masaki Shrine. She was walking up the steps when she heard her name being called. She stopped and looked around. Tenchi came crashing out of woods that lined the sides of the steps, a look of fear, worry and relief covered his face.

“Oh Gods, Ryoko! Thank kami you are all right! We’ve been looking everywhere for you! I was terrified that you had run away; that I had done something to make you leave! Even Washu couldn’t get a hold of you through your link! Where on earth have you been!?” Tenchi demanded as he grabbed a hold of her and pulled her into a tight hug that rivaled one of her own.

“I told Sasami yesterday that I was meeting my friend Minako for lunch today and wouldn’t be here for lunch. Didn’t she tell you?” Ryoko gasped out as Tenchi gripped her harder.

“Sasami? No, she didn’t, she said she didn’t know where you were!” Tenchi cried out as he held Ryoko at arm’s length as he looked at her.

“I know I told her, Tenchi, you have to believe me!” Ryoko pleaded as she looked at Tenchi.

“I believe you, Ryoko but next time, please leave a note. I don’t ever want to feel the type of fear I experienced today, again.” Tenchi quickly crushed his mouth against hers in a heated kiss before pulling way. “Now come on, let’s get back home so the others will know you are all right?” Tenchi wrapped his arm around Ryoko and they headed back to the house.

“Oh, thank kami you are okay, Ryoko!” Sasami cried, her eyes filling with tears as she hugged Ryoko.

“Hey, it’s okay kiddo. I told you yesterday I wouldn’t be eating lunch here today but I guess you must have forgotten.” Ryoko smiled softly at the little princess.

“Oh yeah! Oh Ryoko, I’m so sorry for forgetting! I must have been distracted and didn’t exactly realize what you told me,” Sasami sniffed as she wiped her eyes.

“Its okay, stop worrying about it, I’m fine.”

Sasami nodded and then hurried off to start making dinner. Ayeka just glared at Ryoko but said nothing. Mihoshi and Kiyone smiled at Ryoko before heading off to help Sasami with dinner. Tenchi started towards Ryoko but was called away by his grandfather to practice. Ryoko made her way into her mother’s lab to talk with her.

“Mom?”

“What can I do for you, little Ryoko?” Washu asked, coming into view.

“For starters, can you stop calling me Little Ryoko, it’s kind of degrading since I’m not little anymore.”

“Of course, sometimes I forget that. You’ll always be my little Ryoko! Now what can I do for you?”

“Well, after dinner can…can I talk to you about something?” Ryoko asked, looking at the red headed scientist.

“Of course. I’m always here for you whenever you need to talk.”

“Thank you, Mom.”

“Any time Ryoko,” Washu smiled as she transformed into her adult form. At Ryoko’s questioning look Washu explained. “I thought you might like it if I actually looked like your mother.”

“Thank you.” Ryoko smiled as she hugged her mom. Then she turned and left the lab.

* * *

Dinner was great as usual and after everyone had finished Ryoko and Washu made their way into Washu’s lab.

“Now, what is it you need to talk about?” Washu asked softly as they sat down in the small living room that Washu had built in the lab.

“Well, I don’t know how to say this.”

“Just say it; don’t think, just say,” Washu smiled encouragingly.

“I’m pregnant and Tenchi is the father,” Ryoko said, looking nervously at her hands.

“Our Tenchi? Our nose-bleeding girl-shy Tenchi?” Washu cried out in shock.

“Hai, but he’s not that anymore. He’s gotten a back bone and he’s the one who seduced me into having sex. I was asleep at the time and I was awakened by him kissing my breast. MY BREAST, Mother!” Ryoko stood up and began pacing back and forth.

“That really doesn’t sound like the Tenchi we’ve known for the past two years,” Washu commented as she shook her head.

“I know and he keeps coming back into my room at night. When I was throwing up in the mornings I locked him out of my room for a week and he was very mad about it. He would hardly ever talk to me that week. I really don’t know what’s up with him. All I did was tell him that I really wanted a child of my own one day and that night he shows up in my room and made love to me.”

“Maybe he’s made his choice.”

“Then why hasn’t he said anything to anyone? It’s been almost a month since he’s been coming to me. I think he’s in love with Ayeka and has only been coming to me so that he can get laid without having to go to Ayeka since she would never have sex without a wedding band on her finger.”

“No, Ryoko that’s not true. No matter what Tenchi has been doing now does not mean he has changed completely. Tenchi is not the type to take sex lightly like that. You know that. Now, what we need to do is figure out how to tell him.”

“My friend Minako suggested I just tell him that I need to speak with him about something important and then tell him.”

“Minako?” Washu looked at her daughter.

“I met her the other day while I was at the store. She helped me find the best pregnancy test and she’s who I ate with today. We discussed what I should do about the baby. She also gave me helpful hints about raising my baby and what are the best baby care products. She’s had two sons already and is expecting her third baby in about three months. I really like her and she’s been a big help to me.”

“Oh, well I’m glad you’ve found someone who can help you with this. I agree with her about how you should tell Tenchi. Ayeka can not do anything to stop you if it’s important and I’m sure Tenchi will want to hear what ever it is you have to say if you tell him it’s important. However, you must tell him soon because as the father of the baby he deserves to know and you won’t be able to keep the baby a secret for long. Plus, everyone has begun to wonder about your morning sickness.”

Ryoko sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know. I plan on telling him tomorrow after dinner. I really hope he doesn’t think I’m trying to trick him into marrying me because I will not take that road if that is what he offers as a solution.”

“What if he tells you that he loves you?” Washu asked.

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it,” Ryoko sighed.

They spent another couple of hours just talking about everything and nothing. It was one o’clock in the morning when Ryoko exited the lab to head to bed. She was about to head up the stairs but a sound from up in one of the rooms stopped her. It was Tenchi. She heard him make his way over towards her room and listened to him open her door.

“Ryoko?” he whispered. “Ryoko are you in here?” He sounded worried.

Ryoko listened as he hurried back to his room where he called out her name again in a loud whisper. When he received no answer he rushed back to Ryoko’s room and called for her again. Receiving no answer again he rushed to the bathroom but there was still no sign of her.

“Tenchi?” Ryoko called out softly.

“Ryoko!” Tenchi rushed down the stairs and grabbed Ryoko in a tight hug.

Ryoko was really beginning to worry about Tenchi. He was becoming too protective over her lately and it was becoming rather annoying. He didn’t even know about the baby and yet he was acting like a protective husband.

“I was talking with my mother. I would never leave you, my Tenchi,” Ryoko grinned.

“Sorry, I guess I’m a little jumpy still from this afternoon,” Tenchi smiled as he let Ryoko go and stepped back. “What were you two talking about for so long?”

“Everything and nothing. I guess you could say we were catching up,” Ryoko smiled as she and Tenchi made their way up the stairs and into Ryoko’s room.

“Oh, I hope everything works out for you two.”

“Yeah, me too.”

They climbed into bed and that night they just went to sleep.