V e g a s skies
chapter nineteen
- -

It had been about a week and a half since I returned. Everything had been alright since then. Roxas and I were perfect. He had no manic episodes and promised to take his medications just for me. Of course he had the occasional mood swings, but nothing to the degree of before. Axel and I started talking more often and he always found a way to make me laugh. When I thanked him for coming with Roxas to get me, he just laughed and called me a dimwit. Kairi, of course, allowed me to move back in with her and hugged me so hard I couldn't breathe. When I returned on her doorstep, she was in tears, begging me to come back into the house. Sora—well, he is glad that I am back, but he is taking the relationship I have with Roxas a little hard. He wanted to protect Roxas, and I understand that. I can see where he is coming from, and it is obvious that he is trying real hard to get used to the idea that we are together.

It was now the end of the school year. We had about two or something months left. I don't know. Roxas invited me over to his house to help him study. Roxas wasn't one to study; if anything he would throw the book across the room, swear at it, and take a nap. But—he knew he had to up his grades if he wanted to pass this year, so he asked me to help him study. When I walked into his room, he was hunched over a physics book, his blond hair in a mess. I knew he hated reading, at least when it came to school stuff.

"Working hard I see." I giggled, standing in the doorway, hand on my stomach. Roxas's blue eyes went alert when he heard my voice, but they softened when he saw me.

"Thought I'd get a head start." He walked over to me and placed a gentle kiss on my lips.

Rubbing his hair, I took a spot on his bed as he returned to his desk. "What are we working on first, Roxie?" He cringed at the nickname, but answered me anyway.

"Physics."

I hated that subject. I was good at it, but I hated it. Apparently, Hikaru did too, since the baby was kicked wildly in my stomach at the mention of the subject.

"Roxas, can you get me a glass of water?" I asked suddenly as he started to work on a problem. He set the pencil down and stood, smiling at me. Leaving the room, I had some time to myself. Roxas had set up pictures with my persuasion. There was a picture with him and the whole organization. And then a picture of him and Sora, along with one of me and him above his bed. It was only a few days after I came back that we took that picture. There was a blank frame hanging that Roxas told me was going to be a picture of me, him, and Hikaru.

Roxas came back to the room with a glass in hand. I thanked him has he sat down at the desk, throwing some papers across the room. I figured.

"You won't get anything done like that. Take once neat, clean piece of paper and organize your problems." I said. If you had messy work, you were bound to get irritated and throw it.

"But—I don't want to do it in the first place!"

"You will fail, you know. I don't want to be a year ahead of my boyfriend." I smiled at him. Roxas returned the smile, showing his bright white teeth before turning back and working on another problem. I wasn't there to tell him what to do, he was smart enough. He just needed the motivation to continue. I took a sip of my water before staring off into space.

"Roxas do you think—oh shit." Roxas raised an eyebrow and looked at me before learning what I was freaking out about.

"You spilled that water on my bed didn't you?" Or I thought.

"No!"

"Really? I give you water and you spill it all over my bed! I have to sleep on that you know!" I rolled my eyes at his behavior. Can he not piece it together? My freaking water broke.

"Roxas I didn't--" He jumped up from his spot and walked into the hall.

"Sora!" I stared at him, wondering why in the world he called Sora. The brunette appeared in the doorway, wondering what was going on. "She spilled her water all over my bed!" He said, pointing at my lap. Sora rubbed the back of his head why he smiled sheepishly at me.

"Um—Roxas..."

"I mean, come on!" Sora slapped the back of the blond's head.

"He water broke moron!"

"Oh."

I sat in the bed, groaning. It wasn't that bad an hour ago, but now I was having contractions like a mother, and I wasn't enjoying it. I wasn't dilated enough to have the spinal block yet, so I laid in the bad, groaning in pain. Roxas said he would stay with me, but he had to run to the bathroom. I think he was just being a pansy and ran off for a few minutes. Kairi was sitting at the end of the bed, trying to get my mind off the pain.

"Think of it this way...you won't be pregnant anymore!" Glaring at her, she smiled sheepishly.

"No shit!"

"Just trying to help." Kairi put her head in her hands, and I can imagine that my groaning and yelling got annoying. The hospital gown I was in was also pissing me off as well.

"When I have that freaking spinal crap!?" I yelled at Kairi, unintentionally being mean.

"When the doctor says so." The door started to open, and I was almost relieved. Until I learned it was Roxas. Glaring at the blond who was holding some coffee as he entered the room, he looked at me funny and started to back out.

"Well, if you don't want me in here." He said, about to turn around.

"GO GET THE DOCTOR!" Sitting in the hospital bed, the bangs were matted on my forehead. I hadn't even begun to give birth yet and I was already sweating. The contractions were getting closer and closer and it was a bit ridiculous.

Roxas POV

I felt sort of bad. I mean, my girlfriend was sitting in a bed, moaning in pain and there was nothing that I could do about it. Anyone in the right mind would feel bad about it. My footsteps were rushed. I didn't want to make her suffer any more than she had to. Boy—was I glad I couldn't have kids.

The doctor was standing over a table, looking at whatever the hell he was looking at. Obviously he thought it was more important than delivering a baby. He didn't look like a doctor either. He looked like some old pedophile that got excited at looking at young women that he cared for. Taking a sip of my coffee, I cleared my throat that caused him and his nurse to look up.

"Yeah, um, Ms. Sato is in a lot of pain. And—she asked for you." I was never good with adults, let alone doctors. I hated doctors, as you may know.

"I don't think she is dilated enough for us to do anything." He told me, putting a hand into his pocket. I rolled my eyes at him.

"How would you even know? You are not even in there." I stared him down, glaring at him from underneath my bangs.

He coughed a little. "I'll be there in a minute."

Smiling triumphantly, I headed back to Namine's room, where I could hear Kairi trying to calm her down a little bit. Opening the door, Namine was laying in the bed, squinting every so often. Kairi was pacing, trying to tell her reassuring things as Namine breathed deeply. When I saw her in pain like that, my heart almost broke.

Walking to the side of the bed, I smiled at her. "The doctor is coming." For the first time since we have been in the hospital, she smiled at me.

"Thank god." I grabbed her hand, which I regretted because she got a contraction at that moment and almost broke every bone in my hand. "Ow!"

"OW!" Our screams were simultaneous.

"Roxas, are you in labor as well?" Cringing, I looked at the auburn haired girl standing on the other side of the room.

"Oh, shut up!" The door burst open, showing the doctor and the nurse. I held onto Namine's hand even though I was in so much pain. My pain couldn't amount to hers right now. He flipped up the sheets that covered her legs and examined her. She was taking in sharp intakes of breathes as he looked. Gripping Namine's hand, I gave her a reassuring look that told her that I was going to stay with her through this whole thing.

"Well, Ms. Sato, it seems you are dilated enough. It's time to deliver this baby." He said with a smile, that sort of scared me.

- -

I didn't think that birth could such a horrifying thing. Sure, it was beautiful, but it was a bloody mess! Namine was on the bed, squeezing my hand. Kairi was trying to reassure her as I was incapable at the moment. Beads of sweat were dripping down her forehead as she yelled with each push to get Hikaru out. The whole thing made me cry actually. It didn't help my sensitive emotional system. I was crying for two reasons. One, I was very happy that I would finally get to meet Hikaru and everything. But, seeing Namine in this much pain shattered my heart. I thought I was going to hyperventilate. I tried to hide my tears from her, but I could tell she knew I was crying. I knew she knew why I was. Each push was harder than the last, and all I could hear from the doctor was 'push!' and 'you need to push harder!' Not soon after the screaming, I heard an exhale from Namine. One that signaled relief. Not soon after I heard that, a loud, whaling cry was heard from further down from me.

"It's a girl!" The doctor shouted and Namine's voice lit up. I stole one glance at her. There was a mop of blond hair sitting atop her head. Although she was crying, she would open her and it would show her bright blue eyes looking around the room in wonder. Her high pitched cry would echo in my ears, but it wasn't annoying but musical. Although she wasn't mine, she felt like mine.

Namine's POV

I can say that birth is the most painful thing I have ever done in my life. But as soon as the doctor shouted that it was a girl, and I heard her cry, I knew it was worth it. Her blond hair was beautiful and silky, and her blue eyes flicked around the room wildly as she screamed. Even covered in blood, she was beautiful to me. Roxas through so too, obviously, since his eyes lit up at the sight of her. The nurse cleaned her off at the table and then slid her into my arms.

"Hi, Hikaru." I said, cradling her as I thought I should. She cried in my arms though, but I didn't care. I didn't take it personally. "I'm your mommy." My eyes flicked up to Roxas, who looked exasperated. His eyes were red and puffy because he had been crying. But, a smile was present on his face. He leaned down, softly pushing back her hair. She stopped crying.

"Hi, Hikaru." He said in a gentle and caring tone. Hikaru slowly opened her eyes and they flicked from Roxas to me and I swear I saw a smile on her face.

To our sadness, they had to take Hikaru away for a few moments. Kairi smiled at us before following them out of the room to tell Sora the good news. Roxas looked down at me.

"Good job."

"Are you really saying 'good job'?" I smiled at him. He wiped his face leaned down, kissing me sweetly on the lips.

Resting his forehead on mine, he looked me in the eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too, Roxas."

He pushed my bangs that were stuck to my forehead back as I let out a little sob of happiness. He kissed me once more before sliding me over a little and laying down in the bed as well.

The next few days, I had to stay in the hospital. I saw Hikaru as much as I could, when Roxas wasn't stealing her. It was sort of a father daughter relationship that was beginning. Whenever I was with Hikaru, though, she would smile at me. She was this adorable thing in my arms that I loved with all my heart. When Roxas had her, all I heard were giggles being exchanged by the two. I'm sure they had some sort of connection. That made me happy.

When I got to go home, I had a temporary crib in Kairi's room. I was practically confined to the room. Kairi and Sora wanted to decorate the room with a passion, so I let them. But, I never would have let them if it meant I couldn't stay in my own room. Roxas camped out at Kairi's house with me to help me with Hikaru's late night parties. She would scream and cry about three times a night. Most of the time Roxas offered to get up since he didn't sleep much anyway, but the nights he was with the Organization (probably telling them how Hikaru looked. They loved her.) I had to get up and take care of her myself. I didn't mind much, until I was dead tired.

On nights like tonight, where I was in fact so tired I could pass out standing, it honestly didn't help that in the next room over I could hear arguments from Kairi and Sora about the room I was not allowed to see.

"Dammit Sora! I said I wanted lime green paint! What on earth possessed you to buy the pink?" Kairi practically shrieked, causing the baby lying beside me to flinch in her sleep.

"I'm sorry! I could have sworn you said pink. I mean girls and pink are together right?" Sora said apologetically.

"Oh really now? Does every girl have to love pink? Is that what you think? Every girl must love pink?" Kairi was speaking quickly and seemingly quite irritated.

"I'm sorry, just stop-" Hikaru was wriggling uncomfortable at the noise, for now it seemed like they were moving something in her room.

"You are the most dense-" by this time my sleep exhausted nerves were done. I pulled myself up from the bed, carefully as to not wake Hikaru, and rocketed to the room.

I whipped open the door prepared to reprimand them for the unnecessary noise, but was stopped at the sight of the baby's beautiful room. The dim lighting took a moment to get use to as I trailed my eyes from one side of the room to the other. The stark white walls had black vines swirling and dancing around the rooms outer edges and 'Hikaru' was written delicately above the window. Right in front of the window, directly across from me, sat her white crib. I took steps forward and my foot hit a soft and fluffy, checkered rug. Peering into the crib, I saw black and white pillows placed around the edges giving the crib a sophisticated manner and each pillow was embroidered with the same vine pattern that adorned the walls. Besides the crib a changing table with the same stark white appearance sat, fully stocked, and waiting for Hikaru's dirty diapers. I whipped around to see Kairi and Sora standing by the white dresser that had black leaves for the handles. In their hands they held a toy box, and stared up at me.

"Wow," I let it escape me breathlessly noticing the black hand prints of Kairi, Sora, and many others on the closet doors, each signed.

"You hate it," Kairi dropped her end of the toy box making a loud thud.

"No," I snapped back to the reason why I had come in, "You're making too much noise-," I paused having a realization, "How long has the room been done?"

"Oh it's been done for a week," Sora smiled and put the toy box down.

"Yeah," Kairi smiled.

"What do you mean 'a week'?" I placed my hands on my hips and glared at Kairi.

"Oh well we just didn't..." Sora dropped the end of his sentence.

"We forgot..." Kairi looked down ashamed, "Are you mad?"

"Not because of the room. It's absolutely amazing!" I smiled and paused a moment, "Wait... what were you yelling a him about pink paint for? This place is... monochromatic."

"Oh... that was... about my room. Sorry."

"Was it really necessary to yell?"

"You know how dense he is."

Roxas and Hikaru loved the room. Hikaru, even though she was still a few weeks old, wanted to spend most of her time in there. When I would take her out of the room, she would cry and cry about it. Even though I was tired of all the endless screaming, I loved her to bits.

In the next few months, Roxas helped me juggle school and Hikaru. He would take her on his free periods, or even the days he would skip. Kairi and Sora would also help and babysit when I had to study for tests. The Organization loved to help us, in awe over her. Hikaru had taken a liking to Axel as well, though I told him no lighters around her. That was common sense. Every night, Roxas and I would switch of reading to Hikaru. At the end of the school year, Sora surprised Kairi with a proposal. Roxas and I were overjoyed for them. I ended up getting a part time job at Starbucks and Roxas would babysit Hikaru. The two built a whole father-daughter relationship, and I was so happy.

When Hikaru was five months, her hair was long enough to have short stumpy ponytails on her head. Roxas would continuously play peek-a-boo with her, and deeming her the nickname 'Hika-chan'. She could sit up on her own and knew how to feed herself now. Around this time, Roxas did have a bit of a breakdown, but Hikaru wasn't around. He has been taking his medications on a regular basis though, and has been amazing since then.

By eleven months, Hikaru would try to have conversations with me, but obviously I couldn't understand anything she was saying. Her blond hair was falling around her shoulders how and her bangs were mimicking mine. Roxas had taken the time to teach her how to walk while I started raising money to get an apartment for Hikaru and I. Somehow, Roxas knew everything Hikaru was saying.

"Yeah, I agree." Roxas said to the almost one year old. Hikaru's blue eyes opened wide. Hikaru was saying more than her mouth could handle, it sounded like.

"Hvjuvh nughvn wee." She replied to him. Roxas laughed.

"I know, right?" I glanced up from the table to see Roxas pinching her cheeks, laughing at her words.

"What is so funny?" I said. My boyfriend's behavior was odder than my child's, it seemed. Hikaru laughed at me, and turned back to Roxas and said more jumbled words.

"Mommy's a jerk? I know." He told her.

"Roxas!"

"I love you." He beamed at me.

It was now nearing fall. Roxas was going to be taking more work to help get an apartment for me, so he was trying to get as much time with Hikaru and I as possible. She was walking around in his backyard as Roxas and I were sitting at the table. Sora and Kairi had gone out to lunch, and Aerith was at a meeting, so that left the three of us.

Roxas looked so much better now. He was smiling more and the tiredness and sadness was gone from his face. I was better too. I didn't have that huge stomach to show off now, and I was not depressed like I was.

"You are so dumb." I told Roxas as he tired to make a point about this kid across the street.

"He so likes you."

"He's 12."

"My point!" Roxas said, slamming his hand on the table, laughing. I rolled my eyes at his behavior. The knew kid who moved in across the street had some sort of thing for me. Or so he thought. I didn't think it was anything important. Roxas laughter continued as he drank some of his drink, eyes looking at Hikaru. "She is beautiful, you know."

"I know."

"Like you."

I smiled at him, grabbing his hand across the table. "You are too sweet."

Just as I thought he was being the perfect boyfriend, he threw his lemonade all over me. "Not anymore!"

"Roxas!" He jumped up from the table, trying to outrun me (which he could) and ran for Hikaru. She looked up from what she was doing and laughed hysterically as he swooped her up from the ground.

"Mommy is after us!" He told her as she looked at me, happiness present in her face. I knew I was laughing too. I dashed after them as Roxas carried Hikaru, running throughout the backyard. I eventually caught up to them, jumping on Roxas's back, causing all three of us to fall to the ground.

"Mommy is a freak." Roxas whispered to Hikaru, and I nudged him on the shoulder. We were perfect together, and Roxas was being the perfect guy in Hikaru's life.

"Time to eat." I grunted, trying to stand. Roxas lifted Hikaru to her feet and wrapped his arms around my waist, giving me kisses on the neck, making me giggle. I heard Hikaru's footsteps for a minute and then they stopped. We turned around looking at the small blond girl, her white sundress blowing in the wind. She looked confused for a moment, and then looked at Roxas.

"What's wrong, Hika-chan?" She looks up at Roxas and points.

"Daddy."

OMG! IT'S OVER!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm so sad right now.

I have two things I want to say. UNO: my bus number for school is 8 and 13.....makes me happy.

DOS: Thank you guys so much supporting me as much as you have and saying all the wonderful things about this story. You don't know how much it means to me that you stuck around this long! I love all of you to death and thanks again! I hope you all return for my future stories in fanfiction. You made this my most successful story guys! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Oh and Hikaru's room was designed by chibixbabe.

Check out Together with the Sundown Studios. We will be posting stories soon!

I will miss you all!

Till next time!