Hey everyone, BassDS here, back once more with the newest chapter in the first installment of the Island Chronicles series.

Right off the bat, I do want to apologize for the wait on this one, granted it may have been only two and a half weeks tops, but this still should have been up much sooner. The idea of how to go about the chapter was there, but I just lacked the time and even then when I did, I wanted to spend it on myself, because being an adult is hard and it can be a pain sometimes. Makes me wish i was in my teens and back in school half the time; I was constantly writing then.

But hey, what matters here is that we can pick up the story where we left off much sooner, at least better than the times I've gone months without updating...which is kinda befalling Future Connection right now. I really need to nail down a time to try and work on that.

And for those of you that reviewed the first chapter, I'm grateful you took the time out of your day to do so; it's always nice to hear from people that I please with my writing, so hopefully I can repeat the same thing and hope the stuff that happens in this chapter will allow you to tell me how you feel about the story thus far.

Now with that out of the way, let's pick up where we left off, shall we? We have a little bit of angst to get through first.

Island Life

Ch.2 Fallout, Part 2

Tai sat in his large chair across from Kairi in the study, his eyes closed while he tried to ponder.

"Dad...I..." Kairi began to spoke.

"I'm really not in the mood for your excuses, young lady. You can't fathom at just how disappointed in you I am at the moment. Honestly, Kairi, how could you let this happen? I thought your mother and I raised you better than that."

Kairi looked away a bit before replying, trying to build up her confidence. "It was an accident-" she managed to get out before she was cut off.

"An accident? This is MORE than an accident, Kairi! Do you realize just how much you've jeopardized your future? If you want my honest opinion, it's all one big mistake, and it's a mistake on my part for even allowing it to get this far. I was...hesitant about you dating Sora...but I went against my better judgment and allowed it, and now look where it's gotten you. How could you let him take advantage of you like that?"

That single sentence was what made Kairi snap; she had enough and let her emotions take over as she rose up and retorted back.

"Take advantage of me? Have you completely lost it, Dad? You've known Sora since I was little; you've seen him grow up with me; do you honestly think he's capable of doing something as asinine as you're suggesting!?"

"Do not take that tone with me, Kairi." he said adamantly.

"No, I WILL, and you know why? Because I won't just stand by while you falsely accuse Sora of something he didn't do!" she fired back in anger. "I know more about him than you ever will, and I can tell you right now, it is not in his nature to do something like that."

"He's a young man in his prime...I'm sure he has urges just like any other male; I should know, I was his age once, and I've seen it from others."

"You're being ridiculous right now, you know that, Dad? I can't believe you; I can't believe the words that are even coming out of your mouth. Sora's not like that; he never will be. He's loving and caring, and he's done so much for me."

Outside the study, Kairi's mother, Hana, had her ear pressed to the door to hear the argument her daughter was currently having with her father; a worried look adorned her face as she hear the two people she loved the most fighting.

"And apparently he swept you off your feet enough times where he could convince you into whatever he wanted."

An enraged scowl appeared on Kairi's face, her anger reaching a high level now.

"And you know what, THAT'S where you're wrong; it was mutual between us, we both felt we were ready because we love each other so much, but if you really want me to be honest, I feel like I pushed him into it, and now I'm regretting it, but not for the reasons you're thinking, I'm regretting it because you're just tossing labels on him and thinking he's some sort of deviant. Well you're wrong; he's the boy I love, and I would gladly place my life in his hands."

Tai remained silent as he laced his fingers together and placed them against his mouth, his daughter's gaze staring at him intently.

"Regardless...I'm sticking to my conviction and plan; I'm pulling you out of school at the end of the week, and you'll finish your final year by being home schooled. I don't want you anywhere near that boy even after the baby is born. I just can't honestly trust him anymore." he stated. "And on top of that, if the rest of the islands get wind of this, it could become a huge scandal, and it could put my job as mayor in dire straights; I'd have no other way to support us if I was thrown out of office, or worse, sway away the voters come the end of the year."

Kairi was just appalled.

"Really? This is more about your job and keeping up appearances? Just how heartless can you be?"

"I'm trying to think of us, Kairi; this position is what keeps this family sustained!"

"Family!?" she yelled lividly; her hand resting on her flat stomach. "THIS baby is family, and you want to treat it like it's some sort of black spot on your career?"

"I have the child in mind as well; the plan is to keep your pregnancy hidden, and after it's born...we'll fabricate a cover story; say that it was left on our doorstep, and your mother and I will adopt it."

"NO! No, YOU don't get to decide things like that; this is MY baby, and Sora's. You have no right to deny him of being a father!" she let out; tears in her eyes from the idea that the man that raised her would even think of such a thing.

"You're my daugther, and as long as you live here, what I say, goes." Tai replied.

Just looking at him was making Kairi sick to her stomach, as if the morning sickness wasn't already doing a good job of that.

"No..." she shook her head, her voice being once filled with defiance. "If you're going to be so stubborn about this whole situation and just letting irrational thought dictate your actions, then I refuse to live in the same house as you." she uttered out and turned her back to him while heading for the study door.

"Young lady, you walk out of this house, and you'll regret it; you won't be able to take it back." Tai rose up from his chair.

Kairi only turned her head a bit, tear-filled eyes looked back at the man who had given her a home, shown her the love of a family when she was young. But not anymore.

"The only thing I regret right now..." she choked up a bit. "Is having someone as heartless as you for a father." she mustered up the courage to open the door; seeing her mother nearby and getting out of the way as she walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Kairi…Kairi, dear..." Hana walked after her daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder; feeling the young girl trembling uncontrollable as she finally let loose the bottled up emotions that had been building during the entire confrontation.

"I need to go...Mom...I just need to go..." she rose her hand and place it atop her mother's gripping it tightly.

"I know, sweetie…I'm always here if you need me...remember that."

"I know..." Kairi dried her tears and turned to hug her mother in an embrace, before looking up to her eyes, letting her know she'll be fine.

With no other words between them, Kairi turned and made her way out the door of the house she was raised in; quite possibly for the last time.

Riku had to take a moment and let what he just heard sink in. Was Sora telling the truth? But then again, in the emotional state Sora was in, did he have any reason to lie?

"Did I hear you right?" the silver haired teen asked calmly. Part of him now regretting slugging Sora like that, but he had to get through to him in some fashion.

"She's pregnant, Riku..." Sora uttered out again, his small sobs had wound down in the silence that had come between him and Riku, and considering the punch he took; the pain from that was enough to make him cease crying. "I...I don't know what I'm going to do...I mean, I know I've screwed up a lot in the past, but those times were different; I had Donald and Goofy to back me up...but THIS...it's an entirely different situation." Sora stated as he propped up his knee and rested his elbow atop it so his hand could try and soothe the pain from his bruise.

"Well...this is uhh..." crossing his arms, Riku pondered what to say next. This was uncharted territory for him too; he knew the bond Sora and Kairi shared had only grown stronger over the years, but part of him was still finding it unreal that his two best friends went all the way; and needless to say, it took a lot of willpower to try and get that image out of his head.

Pondering things a bit more; Riku moved to sit down next to him and looked over to Sora. "Don't you think Kairi's opinion counts to? Do you really think she thinks you messed her life up?"

"But that's just it; I don't know and I can't help but think that's the case...her dad was livid about the whole thing. I can only think of the pressure he put on her when he found out." replied Sora. "He didn't even give me a chance to talk to her, so I have no idea what she's thinking right now."

"How did her dad even find out?"

"She passed out at home a few days ago. They knew she'd been throwing up and just thought it was a bug or something, but after she was rushed to the hospital...well...that's where things pretty much broke down." Sora sighed and look down. "I can't even imagine what my folks are thinking...I bailed out of the school after that confrontation so fast."

"Sora...let me ask you a serious question..." Riku closed his eyes and paused for a moment while he sorted the words in his mind properly. "Do you REALLY think Kairi blames you for what's happening between the two of you right now? All the time we've grown up together, she never once blamed you for anything, so why should she start now?"

"I dunno...maybe you're right..." Sora replied meekly.

"No, Sora, you KNOW I'm right. Because you know that Kairi is too caring to even think anything bad of you, not after everything you've done for her. If you delude yourself into thinking that, then I think Namine messed up somewhere while you had your little nap."

Sora pondered a bit. Maybe there was some truth to Riku's words. Kairi never really was the hateful type.

"Anyway..." Riku spoke while he got back to his feet. "I need to go home and grab something to eat before I leave. I need to stop over at Master Yen Sid's and check in with him on how my master tasks went this week." Riku extended his hand to Sora, the spiky haired teen almost reluctantly grasping it as he was pulled to his feet. "Sora, you know I'm here if you need to talk to someone, alright?"

"Thanks, Riku...sorry I wasn't acting like myself earlier." Sora replied a bit more confidently.

"If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry for decking you like that, because now Kairi's likely to try and kill me for even laying a finger on you like that." Riku joked a bit in an attempt to lighten the mood up.

"I guess for right now, I should go home and find out what kind of reprimand I'm in for from my mom and dad. Not looking forward to this." he gulped at the thought.

Sora soon slowly approached his house, moving up the steps of the deck to find his dad resting in one of the lounge chairs near the firepit stand.

"I...I'm home..."

Kaze just relaxed for a few more moments before he rose up to stretch before looking to his son and noted the bruise on the side of his face. "What happened there?"

"Oh...ummm...Riku sort of had to knock some sense into me, is all." Sora replied; still feeling the sting a bit.

"So I see."

Soon the small banter between father and son grew silent until Sora worked up the nerve to speak, clenching his hands in his palms.

"I'm sorry, dad...I know I've probably made you really disappointed in me..." he started to get out before he was cut off.

"Just stop right there, okay?" Kaze interrupted. "It's way too late in the night for this talk, so why don't we just sleep on everything first and talk it over in the morning. Your mom will have dinner ready soon, and you probably don't want to keep our house guest waiting any longer."

Sora shook nervously as he took only a moment to ponder on who it could be before he opened the door and raced up the stairs toward his room, slowing down as he came to the closed door, until he came to a complete standstill; his hand reaching out, shaking as he gripped the knob and gently opened the door.

His eyes scanned the room, before honing in on the redhead fast sleep in his bed. He inched closer to her, kneeling down to look at her face; dried tracks where tears had once flowed adorned her cheeks. Carefully, he moved his hand to brush a few strands of hair away from her face.

"K...Kairi..."

His voice eased her from her slumber, her eyes opening as she saw the face of the boy she held to her heart so close looking right at her.

"Sora….Sora!" Kairi got her upper body off the mattress and right away wrapped her arms around him, not wanting to let go at all while she felt him hold her close.

"Kairi...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." his voice trembled.

"No..." she spoke out and moved away to kiss him softly. "Don't think that, please, Sora. Just don't."

He rested his forehead against hers, their eyes locked into a tender gaze. "Can you blame me? I can't stop thinking I messed your life up somehow, Kai...I feel like I robbed you of your future."

"My future was always going to be with you, lazy bum...I can't imagine not having you in my life.

"I know, but I can't help but feel like I've forced such a burden on you, and on me. Kairi, we don't know how to take care of a baby." Sora relented.

"Nobody does the first time...we just have to try our best. It's all we can hope for. Please don't blame yourself, Sora. We're both at fault here. I don't want you burdening yourself with all this guilt you must be feeling." Kairi soothingly said.

Sora looked down for a moment, balling his hand up before Kairi's gentle hands rested atop his.

"Remember what we promised that night? No regrets; and I still hold true to what we said. I don't regret what we did, Sora, and I never will."

Sora nodded in response. "I don't regret it, either. That night we shared was just...I felt complete. It felt right."

"We both wanted to show our love for each other in the most intimate way we could. I gave you all of my love, everything I wanted to give to you, and in return, you did the same." she moved back and propped herself up on her side, taking his hand and placing it gently on her thin stomach. "So tell me, Sora...can THIS really be a burden if we created it with the love we feel?"

Sora felt his hand rest there and let Kairi's words sink in. Their love created what was growing inside of her. Kairi was right; it wasn't a burden, but it was a massive challenge the two would have to contend with together.

"I...I'm gonna be a dad..." he said, slowly becoming more accepting of the idea, knowing now that Kairi harbored no ill will towards what the result of their night together produced.

Kairi smiled softly, seeing that she had lifted the weight of uncertainty from his conscious. "Thanks to you, I'm going to be a mommy..." she smiled softly as Sora gently got onto his bed and held her in a loving embrace.

Sora knew nothing could change what was going to happen; it was completely past that point now. But he was now resolved to be there for Kairi, and she would be there for him. This was a challenge they would both face, and at least, it would be together.