Disclaimer: Still don't own Digimon.

Warning: This chapter has people talking about abortion. If that bothers you, I suggest you stop reading now.

Can't Predict The Weather

Chapter Two:

"...Eh?"

The Kaiser's mind whirled, not sure if he'd heard her correctly.

"I'm pregnant," she said again.

"But..."

"But what?"

"...I didn't think that was possible in the Digital World."

If looks could kill. "Well, apparently it is."

"Are you sure it's...um..."

"Yours?" She crossed her arms. Or hugged herself. It was difficult to tell. "You're the only guy I've ever been with, so...yeah."

Was it inappropriate that he felt a little thrill of happiness at that? Probably. He wasn't sure what it was appropriate to feel in this kind of situation. He hadn't even considered sex before that time in the cave. His main concern had been how he'd most efficiently construct Dark Towers, not...babies.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well what?"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

He crossed his arms as well. "I don't even know what that means, Miyako-san."

She licked her lips, looking very uncomfortable. "It means...do you want to keep it?"

It took a moment for comprehension to settle in, and then he felt like an idiot. "I'm surprised you're even asking me," he said.

"You're the father," she said. "It wouldn't be right to exclude you from this kind of decision."

Father. The word made his stomach twist in a very peculiar way. "Well...what do you want to do?" he asked.

She shrugged helplessly. "I dunno. I don't think I could actually go through with...you know."

"Good," he said, without thinking. "I wouldn't want you to."

"...Oh," she said.

He got a sudden, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Did you come here because you thought I'd tell you to get an abortion?"

The guilty look on her face was answer enough.

He glared at her. "Ah, I see. You need me to play the villain." He sneered. "So sorry to disappoint."

She started crying.

It was like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head. "...Sorry," he said.

Shaking her head, she said, "No, you're right. I'm scared, and I wanted you to make the decision that I'm too w-weak to make on my own."

"So...you do want to abort it?" He was so confused.

"I DON'T KNOW!" she yelled, then broke into sobs, sinking to her knees.

He stared, completely at a loss. It was very unpleasant to see her like this, but he had no idea how to make it better. So he just stood there, useless, until she finally stopped on her own.

Sniffling, she said, "I guess I was hoping that all your bragging was true." She wiped her eyes. "You say you're superior., so...maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I don't have to be so afraid."

It was strange, how happy he was to hear those words. He'd come to this world to be free of such burdens, and yet this felt like a triumph. So much time and effort spent trying to get even the barest hint of her attention, but now...

Now, she didn't even have the option of ignoring him.

He crouched down and lifted her face with his forefinger, using the pad of thumb to wipe away her tears. "You don't have to be afraid," he said, smiling softly. "I'll take care of you, Miyako-san."

She blinked at him dazedly. "That sounds ominous, coming from you."

His smile vanished at those words, but he still held out his hand when he stood, which she took. Once they were both standing, he said, "You really shouldn't be up this late."

Wiping at her cheeks, she said, "You didn't seem to have a problem with it earlier."

Earlier, he hadn't known she was pregnant. With his child.

He swayed on his feet, seized by a sudden wave of panic.

"Um...are you okay?"

Of course he wasn't okay. Not that she actually cared. It wouldn't have mattered if she did, though - he couldn't let on any weakness. "I'm fine," he said.

She looked like she might cry again. "No," she said. "You're not." She sniffled. "And you're going to take it out on some poor, helpless digimon."

Well, he wouldn't call them "poor" or "helpless". "You should go home," he said.

She nodded, taking a piece of paper out of her pocket, and handed it to him. "It's my cell number and email address. We should stay in touch."

Another swell of happiness mixed in with the panic. "Thank you," he said.

She made a face. "It feels really gross when you're polite."

He frowned. "Well...you should get used to it." He squared his shoulders. "I said that I'd take care of you, didn't I?"

"You did," she said, looking skeptical. She made a sound that was somewhere between distressed and disgusted, turning to look towards the Dark Tower. "Uch. This is is so weird. And gross." Giving her head a vigorous shake, she said - more to herself than to him, "I just need to accept that the Digimon Kaiser is going to be a part of my life forever." She clenched her hands into fists, pumping them slightly into the air, and nodded sharply. "You can do this, Miyako."

"...I'm standing right here, Miyako-san."

"I know," she clarified, turning back to him. "Anyway...see you later."

She left with a slight bow of her head.

The Kaiser headed back to his base, mind still whirling.

A few hours, many slaves, and several new Dark Towers later, the Kaiser was feeling more grounded. The panic had even given way to something that resembled excitement.

He'd never given it much thought, but he certainly wasn't opposed to having children. Certainly, having them so early in his life wasn't ideal, but he also wasn't an ordinary person. He'd never intended to stay in the Digital World forever; he'd just needed a vacation from the hive. With his extraordinary abilities, taking care of a child couldn't possibly be that much of a challenge.

And he certainly couldn't deny the fact that he liked how Miyako could no longer pretend that nothing had happened between them. It had taken him a while, too, but he'd come to accept that the two of them had forged an indelible connection that day in the cave. Now, she'd also come to see it.

The thought brought a grin to his lips.

When Miyako woke up the next morning, groggy and stiff, she discovered that the Kaiser had already sent her a text message on her cellphone.

This is Ichijouji. Contact me at this mail address whenever you want.

She stared down at the message for a few long moments, though she wasn't why. Her attention was only diverted when she felt Poromon stirring beside her.

"Good morning, Miyako-san," he said, snuggling into her side.

"'Morning," she said, trying and failing to sound like she'd had a decent night's sleep.

Poromon bounced into her lap, gazing up at her with his big, earnest eyes. "Are you finally going to tell me what's going on today?"

Guilt twisted in his stomach as she set the phone aside. "...I don't think I can do it today," she said. "But I promise that I will. Soon."

It shouldn't have been possible for a ball of fluff to droop, but Poromon somehow managed it. "Well, if you're sure. I just worry, Miyako-san."

She picked him up and hugged him to her chest, resting her cheek against his downy feathers. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry."

She just wasn't ready to tell anyone that actually mattered quite yet, because that would really drive home that it was actually happening: she was pregnant at 17, and a pompous megalomaniac was the father. Even though she knew Poromon would never judge her for it , she just...needed a little bit more time.

Her parents and the other Chosen...

Well, they probably would judge her for it. And rightly so.

She put Poromon down and threw the covers back, stumbled over to the closet in order to get out her school uniform. But just as her hand hovered over the hanger, she hesitated. There was no way that she'd be allowed to stay in school, once the faculty found out. Most girls in her position didn't keep the baby, so it was a rare thing - but it wasn't exactly a secret. Pregnant girls reflected badly on any school that they attended. She'd be "asked" to leave.

Swallowing past a sudden lump in her throat, she drew her hand away and trudged back to the bed.

"Are you not going to get dressed?" asked Poromon.

She let out a sigh. "I don't think I'm gonna go to school."

"Are you not feeling well? Perhaps you should go see a doctor."

She stroked her hand over his head, paying close attention to the feeling of his soft feathers brushing against her palm. "I'm not sick, Poromon. I just...don't need to go today." Or ever again, probably. The thought made her vision blur with tears.

Poromon must have noticed, but he said nothing. He just let her stroke him as she cried.