I don't own Skip Beat! or, the characters. A little light hearted something I couldn't get out of my brain. Hope you like it. 8)

Meddling

Chapter 1

Golden eyes popped open wide in the dark assessing their surroundings. How did I get here? I was at the my 18th birthday party... Someone handed me champagne to celebrate... A soft, deep, male moan caught her attention and the realization that she was completely bare under familiar silk sheets did not escape her muddled mind. She bolted upright and felt the piercing pain in her head.

"Ow, ow, ow." She whispered not wanting to wake the sleeping male next to her. How did this happen? She groaned inwardly and quickly, yet stealthily exited the bed. She quickly retrieved her clothing that had been strewn to various locations of the apartment: Shirt on the sofa, bra hanging from the corner of the television, pants on the stereo and finally panties hanging on a corner of a dining room chair accompanied by the tell-tale butt print on the smooth varnished surface of the table. She blushed fiercely at the sight and quickly wiped it away with a soft kitchen rag she had found. It was a tapestry of what had taken place only hours ago, but she still had no memory save for the soreness that accompanied such actions.

After checking to make sure that everything was in pristine order, she grabbed her bag, slipped on her soft winter boots and quickly, but quietly closed the door behind her and made her way to the elevator. It wasn't until she was sitting in the backseat of the warm taxi that it had all came into focus and hit her at maximum effect. "He's going to hate me. He's going to think I'm just another one of those women." She whispered to herself as tears started to trickle down her cheeks. I'm so impure. Were her thoughts as she exited the cab and paid. That night or morning, the morning of December 25th, she cried herself to sleep wondering how she would face the man that she held so close to her heart the next time she saw him.

On the morning of December 25th, Ren Tsuruga/Kuon Hizuri awakened with a throbbing headache that would render a bull elephant to its knees. He groaned and slowly sat up noticing his state of undress. "What the hell happened?" He groaned. He slowly sat up, exited his comfortable bed and grabbed the pants that had been neatly folded and placed on his dresser. Strange. He thought as he winced from the little stab of pain behind his green eyes. He entered his bathroom and pulled a bottle of aspirin from the medicine chest and shut the mirrored door to find a pair of green eyes staring back at him. When did I take out my contacts? He pondered as he filled a small cup with water and forced down the four small pills.

He took in a deep breath after setting the cup down and it suddenly hit him. The erotic scent of a female and the smell of sex that lingered around him.

"What the hell? What the hell happened last night?" He panicked searching his apartment for clues. Nothing was revealed to him in his empty, pristine apartment. Nothing except for the little pink stain on his black silk sheets in the center of his now stripped bed.

He fell to his knees in despair. "Kyoko will never forgive me." He muttered, desperately trying to remember the woman that he had slept with the night before. What if that woman wants to blackmail me? He groaned, thinking of all of the horrible things that could come from this little uncontrolled romp, including Kyoko's disgust and hatred for said playboy.

Two months had come and gone without memory or, discussion of that fateful night. There were no scolding words or, avoidance from the male and no conniving vixens crawling out of the woodwork or, incriminating photos from the event. The relationship stayed fun and cordial and all was brushed aside. Kyoko's life had picked up and she had been quite busy, so busy that sleep had started to be an issue. She just couldn't get enough of it. She was starting to feel a little under the weather. She was sore all over. Stress had caused her period to cease and she was having difficulty keeping anything in her stomach other than saltines and water.

She sat at a quiet little out of the way booth in the small LME café called LA Hearts with her script in hand, absently snacking on her saltines. She sighed in frustration. "If I don't feel better by tomorrow, I'm going to the clinic." She groused.

"Are you sick Mogami-san?" A concerned male voice asked as he sat across from her.

She looked up from her script and sat it on the table. "Just a little bug and stress." She told him.

He smiled and shook his head. "Tsk... Tsk... You really should take better care of yourself. Saltines are not a proper nutritious meal Mogami-san." He teased as he picked up a menu.

"What would you like to order today Tsuruga-san?" The waitress asked as she sat down one glass of iced water and topped off Kyoko's.

He smirked mischievously. "I think I will have the Salmon and Mogami-san will have the Steak with Egg and a bowl of Miso Soup."

Kyoko's mouth opened to protest and he held up a hand. "No... You haven't been eating and for once I'm hungry. Aren't you going to join me to make sure I'm eating properly?"

She sighed in resignation. "Fine." She conceded, hoping that she could keep the food down this time.

Ren chuckled. "Good, besides I really didn't order that much anyway and it's one of your favorites."

She stored her Saltines and her script in her bag and their conversation steered towards work and personal events. The atmosphere at the little booth had become comfortable and light-hearted. She was pleasantly surprised at the ability to keep down the Miso Soup and was looking forward to her favorite food when it came. That was at least until the main meal came and she finally displayed an interesting shade of chartreuse for him then completely lost all control of her gag reflex and spewed onto the aisle carpet.

"OH MY GOD! Tsuruga-san, I am so sorry." She wailed.

That little scene is all he needed to witness to scoop her up, bag and all and force her to go to the clinic after tossing payment for their uneaten meal and an enormous tip for whomever had to deal with the mess.

"You are going to the doctor today. That is not normal." He scolded.

"I feel fine now! I don't need to go today. I have too much to do." She protested.

"No! I'll call Yashiro and let him know to clear our schedules." He told her firmly.

"But..." She started.

He shot her a stern look. "NO BUTS..."

She flopped back into the passenger's seat and pouted a very familiar Setsuka pout that he hadn't seen in several months.

He smirked at the victory.

"Well Kyoko-san, judging from the results, I would say that you conceived around the end of December. Your due date should be around September 17th. I'm going to write you a couple of prescriptions. One for your nausea and the other for prenatal vitamins." The doctor informed her of other things, but his voice just kind of faded to a distant buzzing sound after the words telling her she was pregnant and at the end of her first trimester. She felt faint and the world around her felt uncomfortable and stifling, like it was closing in on her. "So I will let our obstetrician know and we'll need you to make an appointment with her when you pick up your prescriptions at the front desk. Do you have any questions?"

She looked up at him blankly and shook her head. She gathered her things and ambled out to the front desk like the living dead.

Ren sat quietly waiting for Kyoko in the waiting room, trying to alleviate his worries for her by reading a magazine that had been laying on one of the empty seats. Although he had been properly disguised with his hat and sunglasses, there were still the murmurs of the clinic waiting room staff that couldn't help but be curious as to who he was. Thankfully he was the only one occupying the waiting room at the moment.

The door opened and out walked a very strangely behaving Kyoko. "Oh... Here's your prescriptions and your appointment with our on-site obstetrician will be one week from today." The receptionist looked up at Kyoko and then at Ren and smiled. "It's always nice to see such a caring father accompany his wife." She commented happily.

Ren's attention immediately focused on the object of his affections and their eyes met. The words obstetrician, father and wife immediately screamed in his mind. WHAT?! Was the only though in two minds at the same time.

Kyoko slowly turned back to the receptionist and nodded quietly. "Th-thank y-you." She stuttered out and began rummaging through her bag for her wallet until she felt a large hand on her arm.

"I've got it." He whispered as he pulled out the payment. "When's her next appointment?" He smiled brightly, stunning the receptionist.

"Umm... Uh... Oh, Next Tuesday Sir." The receptionist told him in a hypnotic haze.

"Thank you." He smiled again as he pulled the small stupefied strawberry-blonde gently by her arm out of the office and to his car.