Ryuji sighed, he had been trying to contact Akira for weeks now, but she kept refusing to speak to him. The other Phantom thieves weren't helping either. The only ones he could talk to in person without pre-arranging things were Futaba and Ann and they did everything they could to avoid speaking to him. He even tried getting Mishima to help him tell Ann to get Akira to answer his calls to apologize and found that the blonde girl had gotten to their classmate first resulting in him getting flipped off by the creator of the Phan site. What hurt the most was that he really felt so alone, it was worse than what happened after the incident with Komashida that had gotten the track team disbanded.

"Moooom!" he whined finally at the end of his rope, "I keep trying to apologize but no one is giving me a chance to!"

Mrs. Sakamoto could tell her son really did want to make up with his friends and didn't see why they weren't allowing him to do what they wanted. Kids these days confused her at times.

"Try using our home phone," she suggested handing it to him and kissing his head, "I know you're trying to do the right thing I'm sure they will forgive you."

"Thanks Mom," he said looking up Akira's number on his own cell phone to dial it in.

Akira looked up from the stove where she was making a food she had been craving, pancakes, when her cell rang.

"Hello?" she asked holding the phone in place using her head and shoulder as she flipped the sweet flat bread.

"Akira! Don't hang up!" Ryuji urged on the other end.

The dark haired young woman's eyes narrowed, "What the hell do you want, Sakamoto? If you're going to try to make me abort again- "

"I'm calling to say I'm sorry," he interrupted, "What I said was wrong, but you're my best friend…I don't want to lose you…"

"Where did you even get the idea that giving birth would kill me anyways?" she asked calming a bit as she put the finished pancake onto a plate and started a fresh one.

Ryuji sighed, only his mother knew what he was about to tell Akira, but he saw her nod from the corner of his eye and trudged on, "My aunt died having my cousin…who honestly died a few weeks later. I was only five at the time, so I didn't know what was going on all I know was that having my cousin killed her and it scared me. I talked to my mom and uncle about it recently and it turns out that my aunt had an undiagnosed heart condition that was aggravated by the labor and that's what killed her. That and well, I gave my other reason for thinking that way at the café. But you were right…his life was unfair and with you as his parent he will have a decent life."

Akira smiled, "As well as a number of aunts and a couple uncles to help out."

"What am I chopped liver?!" snapped Morgana who was nearby.

"No, you're our weird cat that will likely be the baby's favorite cuddle buddy," Akira said bluntly smiling as she heard her friend laugh on the other end, "I'll let the others know you apologized. Though you might have to escort Futaba to Akibara to regain full access to Leblanc. She needs a new escort since I'm not around and the last time she took Yusuke she spent the trip keeping him from wasting his money!"

Ryuji laughed harder, "What are we going to do with that guy?"

"No idea, gotta go, my pancakes are ready."

"Ok, take care and see you soon!" Ryuji said in much higher spirits as he hung up.

Akira smiled hanging up too and carrying her treat to the table to eat, Morgana climbing onto a chair to speak with her.

"If you're so sure the baby's a boy then why aren't you buying all boy stuff?" he asked as the girl dug in glad that her parents were out on a date.

"Mom said that since we've been unable to confirm the gender either way that I should stick to unisex stuff. Once the baby comes she'll get gender specific clothes and toys," Akira replied before taking a bite, "Oh that is so good!"

Morgana rolled his eyes, "Like there is any way the baby will be a girl."

Akira shrugged, "Like you know anything about genders. You don't even know your own and every time I try to look you get angry."

"You grab my tail!"

"Because you cover the area up with it when I try to look. Now, you need to shut up because my parents will be home soon and I rather them not see me having a discussion with the cat I brought home from my time as a delinquent," she told him reaching over to pick him up only for him to jump to the floor on his own.

"You could have just said, "Please get down from the table so I can stuff my face"," he snipped earning him a very dirty look.

"Are you call me fat? Because that will earn you a one-way ticket outside for the night," Akira snapped, glaring at the feline.

"Sheesh, someone's touchy," replied the cat as he started to walk off, "Don't forget to let the others know Ryuji apologized."

"Right, texting them now," Akira said pulling out her phone after another bite of pancake.

Akira smiled as the others said they were glad they made up. A few weeks later she was once again heading back to Shujin to cheer Ryuji on in a track meet. A smile spread over her face as she saw her friends, minus the bleach blond waiting to pick her and Morgana up.

"Wow you got big!" Futaba commented earning her a hurt look from the pregnant teen, "I mean it in a good way! It means the baby's growing well and is healthy!"

Akira nodded and gave the short redhead a hug, "I can feel him move from time to time but he's still a bit small to feel really kick."

Futaba jumped when the baby rolled over and she could feel it, making the parent to be laugh.

"Someone's saying hello," she told the younger girl, "Either that or he's practicing for becoming a Phantom thief."

"A new student, eh?" suggested Morgana sticking his head out of the bag, purring when Haru gave him a good hello scratch behind the ears.

"Not until he's out of diapers, please Morgana," Makoto told him smiling

Akira shook her head, "You guys are all goofy."

Yusuke shrugged, "Would you have us any other way?"

Ann giggled as they found a spot to watch the track meet, "Don't worry, I bought water and snacks to keep everyone happy."

Ryuji smiled when he saw his friends there and ran harder because he knew they were watching. The rest cheered him on with all their might, glad to have to be back together again.

"I need some shaved ice…I feel I'm back in the desert outside Futaba's palace…" whined Akira after the meet ended fanning herself.

"I think you're having what's called a hot flask, Akira-chan," commented Haru, "I did a bit of reading and found that women who are expecting or experiencing menopause."

"How do we treat it?" asked a worried Makoto.

Haru sweat dropped, "The thing is…there isn't really a treatment other than trying to keep said mother from over heating with cold wash clothe and ice water then waiting it out."

"Akira fainted!" cried a frightened Futaba.

A while later Akira woke up in her old bed in Leblanc's attic her friends around her looking worried and a cool washcloth on her forehead.

"You really should be more careful, a hot flash coupled with actual heat was not a good combo," Sojiro scolded, "Don't worry, Doctor Takemi says you and the baby are fine, you just got a little too much sun."

"I think from now on, we'll visit you," Makoto told her petting her hair.

Akira nodded, "Is it okay if I sleep here tonight? I'm tired."

"Sure, I'll call your mother and let her know where you are, sleep well," Sojiro said as the other teens left their friend to sleep, Morgana curling up beside the boy turned girl's belly.

He blinked when he felt something press softly against his side…the baby had just kicked! The feline nuzzled the spot.

"Let your mother sleep," the cat told the fetus before nodding off.

TBC