A/N: So, we've reached the end. We hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Keep a look out for other Off the Spirals.

Read the first chapter of The Notebook to understand the relatively funny part at the end. Even though it's very long. Scarlet, when we edit the Notebook, we should probably find a place to split that chapter, it's absurdly long.

Disclaimer: Kazuko belongs to us. Nothing else does that I know of.

Warnings: There's nothing really to warn about, really.

Chapter 6: Untitled again because Scarlet is being a brat. (I am not a brat. You're just a dummyface! This shall be called....Hm....Bottom of the Ninth, and YES I have been watching too much Big Windup! Oofuri.--Scarlet)

"What are you doing, Fujiko?" Eiji watched as the almost eight-month-pregnant man suddenly stood up and went into the kitchen.

"Hm…" Fuji was digging through the cabinet under the sink.

"Fujiko?"

"Mmn.." Fuji mumbled unintelligibly. He pulled a scrub brush and several bottles of cleaner out of the cabinet and set them on the counter.

Eiji frowned in confusion. They had been packing Fuji's hospital bag in the living room, and he'd stood up and left. "Do you want some help?"

"No thank you," Fuji said cheerily.

"Kikumaru?" Tezuka called into the house. "What's going on?"

Fuji was up on a step stool, pulling things out of the cabinets and dumping them onto the counter.

"I'm not sure…" Kikumaru watched curiously.

Fuji had finished emptying one cabinet and was spraying cleaner on the shelves.

Tezuka rolled his eyes and lifted Fuji off the stool. He set the tensai on the ground. "Cleaner." He held out his hand. Fuji pouted and handed him the cleaner. Tezuka set it aside. "You know you're not allowed to use cleaners. Last time you almost mixed ammonia with bleach. I don't want you doing these things. If you feel they need to be done, I will do them for you. Go wash your hands." Tezuka shooed the pouting tensai from the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, Tezuka. I didn't know he wasn't allowed—"

"It's fine." Tezuka sighed at the boxes and cans on the counter. "He's just nesting."

A soft knock came from the door.

Tezuka and Eiji both looked up. Oishi wasn't supposed to get back from class for another hour, and even if it was him, he had a key.

Tezuka answered the door, Eiji right behind him and Fuji back further, drying off his hands.

A young girl stood in front of them in the Fudomine uniform.

"Tezuka-san, is my brother here?"

Tezuka blinked. "Sadako-chan."

Sadako wiped at her eyes. "Can I please come in?"

"Oishi will be home in about an hour," Tezuka told her, moving so Sadako could enter. "I'll be back in a minute with Kikumaru."

"Eiji-san is here?"

Tezuka nodded and went down the hall to the kitchen. "Kikumaru, we have a guest, and I think she'd be more comfortable talking to you than me."

Eiji cocked his head curiously. "Who is it, nya?"

"Oishi's sister. She seems upset, but I didn't ask why."

"Nya, okay…" Eiji followed Tezuka into the living room, where Sadako was waiting, standing next to the couch awkwardly.

"Ne, Sadako-chan, sit down!" Eiji put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her down onto the couch with him. Tezuka slipped out silently to give them privacy.

"Eiji-san, I…" Sadako took a shaky breath. "I ran away from home."

"What? Why'd you do that?"

"Because I can't stand being there anymore! Mom and Dad yell at me about everything, and it's like I can never do anything right, and it's just gotten worse since Nii-chan left, and…"

"Shhh… It's okay, Sadako-chan." Eiji wrapped her in a comforting hug. "Do you wanna tell me about it or wait for Oishi?"

She shrugged and cuddled closer to her brother-in-law-to-be. "I don't know."

"If you don't want to, that's okay. Do your parents know you left?"

She shook her head against his shoulder. "They were out…"

"Did you leave a note?"

She shook her head again.

Eiji petted her dark hair.

When Oishi returned to Tezuka and Fuji's he was completely shocked to see his sister sitting next to Eiji. Her eyes were red from crying and she had a mug of tea. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders.

"Sadako?"

Sadako's head shot up. "Nii-chan!" She ran around the couch and into his arms.

"Sadako, what are you doing here?"

Sadako didn't answer, just buried her face in her brother's shoulder.

"Nya, Oishi… Sadako-chan ran away."

"What? Sadako, what were you thinking?"

Sadako looked up at him, her big blue eyes wide. "I missed you! I haven't seen you or Eiji-san since you told Mom and Dad about Fuji-san's baby… And they're totally unbearable lately, Nii-chan!"

Oishi hugged her tightly. "Sadako, you have to go home… when they realize you're gone, they'll call the police, and they'll make you leave."

"I don't want to go home! All they ever do is fight, Nii-chan, I'm so sick of them yelling all the time, and they're twice as bad as they used to be because they're so mad at you... After last night I couldn't stand to stay anymore, I had to leave, and Dad has a big dinner today, so… I caught a bus and came here."

"What happened last night?"

"Dad got really, really drunk and started fighting with Mom and…" She bit her lip.

"Sadako, you need to tell me so I can help you."

"He hit her, Nii-chan…" she whispered.

Oishi sighed and hugged her closer. He knew his parents didn't have a very good relationship. His father had been an alcoholic some time before he was born, according to a friend of his mother's who hated his father. He only ever remembered his father drinking once, when he was very little. His grandfather had recently passed away, and his mother had just had Sadako. Sadako had bright blue eyes. His father's were brown and his mother's were the same green as his own. A man his mother and father worked with that she had become… close to… had bright blue eyes. His father thought Sadako had been that man's, rather than his. He had hit their mother then. Later they found out that their grandfather on their mother's side had bright blue eyes, and a DNA test had proven that Sadako was, in fact, their father's a few months later.

"Did he hit you?" Oishi asked, pulling her away by an arm's length.

"N-no."

"Did he hurt you at all?" Oishi asked sternly. Something was bothering his sister.

She pulled back her sleeves, revealing large, hand-shaped bruises on both of her forearms. "I tried to stop him…"

"Sadako…" Oishi brought her back to his chest.

"Please don't make me go back, Nii-chan…"

"You might not have to," Fuji said, having just appeared in the living room with Tezuka. "Sadako-chan, if you show the police what your father did—"

"They'd put her in foster care," Tezuka finished. "Even if they put her with a relative, it wouldn't be you, Oishi. You're too young, they'd be more likely to send her to your grandparents or an uncle…"

"We don't have any family, though," Sadako pointed out. "Our grandparents are all dead, and Mom and Dad don't have any siblings…"

"Regardless," Oishi said, "I don't want you going back there. Fuji's right, we should talk to the police about what happened, and we'll tell them Eiji and I would love for you to come stay with us, okay?"

Sadako sniffled. "Are you sure you don't mind, Nii-chan? I mean, you might have a baby to take care of in a month, I don't want to be in the way…"

"You wouldn't be in the way, Sadako-chan!" Eiji told her. "I bet you'll be a big help with Kazuko-chan, nya."

"Thank you…" She hugged her brother again, then hugged Eiji.

"Tezuka, could you get me the phone?"

Sadako looked at her brother pleadingly.

"I just want them to know you're all right. I don't want them thinking you were kidnapped and murdered." Oishi kissed her forehead and took the phone from Tezuka.

Oishi went into the other room and left a message on his parents' home phone saying that Sadako was okay, that she had come over to Tezuka and Fuji's, and that she would be staying the night with him and Eiji. He then called the police and asked them to send an officer to the apartment.

"They said an officer would be over within the hour." Oishi put the phone back on the base and sat next to his sister on the couch. She had a hand on Fuji's stomach and was smiling in awe.

"She's so little…"

Fuji nodded. "Just like her mommy… Mitsu, can we get take out tonight?"

"What kind of take out?"

"Chinese?"

Tezuka grimaced. "Fine." He pulled Eiji aside before he left, asking him to hide the chocolate syrup and raisins.

"I can't wait until she's born…" Sadako breathed, putting her face close to Fuji's stomach and giggling at the outline of Kazuko's foot as she kicked. "I always wanted a younger sibling. I love babies."

"You'll be our first call whenever we need a babysitter, then," Fuji said. "And you can come over and see her whenever you want if it turns out she's Mitsu's."

Sadako frowned. "Fuji-san?"

"Hm?"

"I've been wondering since I found out…" Sadako paused, biting her lip. "I know it's kind of a strange thing for me to ask, but… well, Nii-chan is so… straight-laced. I almost couldn't believe it when I heard he could be the baby's father. How'd you get him to do it?"

Fuji chuckled. "Eiji and I can be very persuasive when we want to be, Sadako-chan. Of course, your brother is also just as much of a teenager with raging hormones as the rest of us." Oishi was giving him a severe look, so he continued, "But I encourage you to be smarter than us, Sadako-chan, there can be very serious repercussions to sex, as you can tell." He motioned to his stomach. "Regardless of who the father is, we're all quite young to be parents."

Sadako nodded. "I know."

Tezuka came home with dinner, and when they were cleaning up the dishes later there was a knock at the door. Eiji answered it, ushering the police officer and the woman accompanying him inside.

The woman introduced herself as Ryuzaki Shina, a social worker. She looked at all the boys curiously as they introduced themselves and told the officer what had happened.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, "but are you boys Seishun graduates?"

They all looked at each other and nodded slowly.

"I knew it!" She pumped her fist in the air. "I'm Ryuzaki Sumire's daughter-in-law!"

"Ne, Sakuno-chan's mom is a social worker?" Eiji asked.

The woman nodded. "Anyways, I'd like to talk to Sadako-chan alone and get pictures of her arms, if you don't mind?"

The boys and officer moved to the dining room where Oishi began filling out a police report.

"You said your sister will be staying with you tonight?" the officer asked.

"Yes, I left my parents a message on their answering machine, but I haven't heard back from them… That is okay, right?"

"Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't tell you to send her home." The officer half-smiled. "I've been on a couple of runs like this in the last few months. If you want, I can get you the numbers of the lawyers who handled them…" he offered.

For a third time that evening, there was a knock on the door.

Fuji frowned and walked the few steps towards the front door.

"The magnificence that is I has come for a visit."

"Atobe."

"The magnificence that is I has it on good authority that there was a phone call made to the local police from this residence approximately one hour and fifteen minutes ago," Atobe said imperially.

"Er—how did you know that?"

Atobe looked at Fuji like he was slow. "I've given your names and phone numbers—home and cell—to all hospitals and police stations in Tokyo and the surrounding cities, of course. If you call for any reason, I shall know about it."

"Oh." Fuji blinked. "Of course. Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, thank you." Atobe toed off his shoes and followed Fuji into the living room.

"Atobe?" Oishi, Eiji, and Tezuka crowed in unison.

"The magnificence that is I is here to grace you all with my presence. And to ask why there was a phone call made to the local police station, which Fuji has yet to explain to me."

Tezuka opened his mouth to ask, but Fuji held up a hand.

"My sister ran away from home," Oishi explained. "She came here looking for me."

"Why does this warrant a call to the police station?"

"Atobe, this really isn't the time," Tezuka warned.

"The magnificence that is I will just wait then." Atobe sat down and made himself comfortable.

Eventually the police officer and Sakuno's mother left. Oishi, Eiji, and Sadako left soon after.

"May the magnificence that is I have a complete explanation now?"

"Oishi-san beat his wife last night while he was inebriated, and Sadako-chan tried to protect her. He, at the very least, grabbed her rather roughly," Fuji explained.

Atobe nodded.

"She ran away today. I suspect she went to Eiji and Oishi's apartment first before coming here, but she came here and she's staying with Oishi and Eiji at least for tonight… Oishi wants to get custody of her."

"The magnificence that is I would be happy to provide a lawyer, free of charge," Atobe offered. "And if you need anyone paid off, that is also something I can help with."

Tezuka rolled his eyes. "That's hardly necessary, Atobe. And I don't know how willing Oishi would be to accept you paying for his lawyer—he'll see it as a handout."

"If he's that bothered by it, I'm sure I can work something out with him," Atobe said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll call Oishi to negotiate tomorrow."

Atobe had called Oishi the next day, and, as expected, Oishi had refused the lawyer, saying he would find one on his own. He never suspected that the lawyer who had called him later in the evening, claiming to have heard about him and his sister from a police officer friend and offering him a ridiculously good price, was hired by Atobe, who was covering the rest of the cost that the lawyer usually charged.

Social services had looked for a temporary foster home for Sadako while the lawyers worked through the court system, and everyone was pleased when the Tezukas offered her a temporary home where her living arrangements wouldn't cause further tension between the Oishis and their son.

Fuji began rapidly gaining weight late during his eighth month. He began to have backaches, and he slept constantly. Someone was always with the tensai, usually Tezuka, Oishi, or Eiji, but occasionally Inui, Kaidoh, Momo, or Ryoma would watch over him. Fuji and Eiji's mothers had started to bring over frozen things so they wouldn't have to cook and flit about the nursery, enabling Fuji's nesting further. Everything from the baby shower had finally been crammed into their apartment, and all that was left to do was wait.

--

"Fuji-sempai," Echizen drawled with an air of utter boredom as he flipped through channels, "why did I need to come over again?"

"Believe me, Echizen, I wouldn't ask if there were anyone else," Fuji replied dryly. "Everyone else was busy, and Mitsu insists I have someone here at all times in case I go into labor."

Echizen didn't answer. "Why isn't there any tennis on?"

"Because there aren't any matches going on right now?"

The second year huffed.

"We're having your party here later anyways."

"I don't see why. I don't want a party. My family isn't even having one for me."

"Because you throw bitch fits about them. I, however, do not care how grumpy you get. We are throwing you a party, and you will like it because it makes me happy, and you don't want me to get upset, right?"

Ryoma grunted and took a sip of his Ponta.

Only a few minutes later Fuji whined in pain.

"What's wrong, Fuji-sempai?"

"Echizen, call Mitsu. We need to go to the hospital. Now."

Ryoma paled. "No, no, no, you can't do this to me, Fuji-sempai!"

"Echizen, call Mitsu. Oh…You useless moron!" Fuji shouted at his fainted kouhai. Sighing, he pushed himself up off the couch with difficulty and waddled over to the coffee table, where his cell phone lay.

"Please pick up, Mitsu," Fuji mumbled to himself as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mitsu! I think I'm in labor, but your so-called pillar of support fainted on me, so now I have no ride to the hospital, and—ew, that's disgusting—and either I just wet myself or my water broke, I'm going to take a wild guess and say it's the latter—"

"Syusuke, calm down for a second," Tezuka ordered. "I'm an hour away. You need to get to the hospital before that. Try to bring Echizen around, or call Oishi and Kikumaru, they're much closer. I'll meet you at the hospital. If you can't get hold of anyone, let me know."

"Okay," Fuji said weakly. "Mitsu?"

"Yes?"

"I—I'm a little scared."

There was a pause on the other end. "You're going to be fine, Syusuke. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you."

Fuji called Oishi after a minute of prodding Ryoma's side. Both the former vice captain and Kikumaru were there and getting Ryoma and Fuji into the car in no time at all. Eiji called Yamato-sensei on the way to the hospital, and she promised to be there as soon as she could.

"There you are." Tezuka rushed to Fuji's side and put a hand on his stomach, settling the moving baby inside. "Let's get you checked into the hospital."

"I called Momo to come get Ryoma," Oishi said, getting out of the car.

"And I wrote it on his hand!" Eiji piped up happily.

"Fuji-kun?" Yamato-sensei came out of the hospital then and waved at the boys. "I signed you in, come on."

Fuji smiled. "I think it's about time we figure out whose you are, little one."

--

"Nya, how long does it take to have a baby?" Eiji whined, bouncing up and down in his seat. "We've been here for hours!"

"You have to be patient, Eiji," Oishi scolded. "Sometimes babies take a long time to be born."

"I bet time would go a lot faster if we were allowed in the room," Eiji said, pouting.

When the doctor had told them Fuji was only allowed to have two people in the delivery room with him, Eiji had fully expected Fuji to pick him. They were best friends, after all, and Eiji didn't think Oishi would be bothered all that much if he couldn't.

But it seemed Fuji didn't want to let one of them in and not the other, so he'd picked his mother.

"It's not fair, Oishi!"

"Eiji, I don't think you realize how… well… gross it is to watch someone give birth."

"Nya, I wouldn't have to watch down there, Oishi, I just wanted to be there to help Fujiko and everything… and… I mean, Kazuko-chan might be my daughter…"

"Well, she might be mine too, Eiji," Oishi pointed out. "And I don't get to be there either. I think it's good Fuji picked his mother, rather than pick between us."

Eiji jumped up and started pacing around in irritated circles.

"Kikumaru-kun, Oishi-kun, you can come in now." Yamato-sensei poked her head out the door.

Eiji grabbed Oishi's hands and dragged him into the hospital room.

"She's so pretty…" Eiji said as they crowded around the head of Fuji's bed.

"Do you know whose she is, Fuji?" Oishi asked after staring at the sleeping baby for a minute.

"Oh, I know, and so will you when she wakes up. Ne, Kazuko-chan?" Fuji stroked a finger over her red cheek.

On cue the little girl popped a pair of bright green eyes open to look at the new faces crowded around her.

"Oishi… Oishi! You're a daddy!" Eiji glomped his partner, completely giddy.

Oishi steadied himself on the bed, one arm around Eiji. "Can I... can I hold her, Fuji?"

"Of course you can," Fuji said, smiling. "She's your daughter."

--

"Now, Aunt Sadako will be here to pick you up after school, and your lunch is in your backpack, and you be good for your teacher."

"I know, Mommy. I'm a big girl now, remember?" Kazuko had Fuji at an arm's length, looking at him quite sternly.

"Can Mommy have a hug and a kiss good bye?" Fuji mock pouted at the little girl.

"Of course!" Kazuko smiled brightly and hugged him.

"Oi, Kazuko-chan will give Mommy a hug, but not Daddy?" Eiji swooped the little girl up into his arms as the embrace with Fuji ended.

Eiji passed her off to Tezuka, who gave her a hug and a kiss and told her to remember that little boys had cooties and gave her to Oishi.

"We'll see you this evening, okay?" he said as he put her down.

"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy! Bye Papa! Bye Dad! I love you!" She ran into the classroom as the teacher came to greet them.

"Hello, I'm Sasaki Kairin... Your... daughter's... You're those boys from the restaurant..."

Fuji frowned and looked over the young teacher. It was the hostess they'd gotten fired at Atobe's mountain diner all those years ago... Too bad he hadn't cross-dressed today.

--

A/N: This is sixty-eight pages of pure awesome, written in all total two weeks, we're guessing.

We wanted to let you know that we picked both Kazuko's gender and biological father out of a hat. We do lots of things like that. It's fun. It makes for more interesting happenings. And it makes this stuff more realistic. I mean, we weren't just going for the person who would cause the most conflict or something.

Scarlet wants to know if you guys would like fanart to go with the Off the Spirals. We'll, I dunno, upload them onto Livejournal for you.

Also, we want to know which one you'd like us to complete next. We have a bunch left to do, but we'll give you a few of them to pick from.

--Ryoma in a panda costume (don't ask)

--Fuji teaching Ryoma to cook

--Fuji meeting Tezuka's parents

--Yumiko yelling at Ryoma for being a jerk to Sakuno

--Ryomoka's first date

--Fuji teaching Eiji how to kiss