Elfen Lied 1. Chapter 1

Yuka, Mayu and Nana were setting the dinner table. They were going to have somen noodles. Nana had missed them the last time and she had been asking Yuka to make them ever since,

"Wait," Kouta said, "You set too many places!" Yuka smiled,

"She would have wanted to join us."

"You're right." Kouta said, remembering her, that strange, horned girl who had come to stay, forever changing their life. It had been almost a month since she'd left but already the house seemed empty without her. Suddenly, Wanta, Mayu's puppy, began to bark loudly at the gate,  
"Who could that be? We were just about to sit down to dinner!" Yuka queried, "Kouta, would you…?" Kouta sighed,

"Sure." He said. Yuka almost never had to finish her thoughts; her cousin could always tell what she was thinking.

Kouta walked to the gate, he was distracted for a moment by the sound of their antique clock sounding seven o'clock. This would not be strange but for the fact that it had been broken for several years. Kouta continued to the gate once the clock had finished sounding. He saw Wanta barking, but it was not a hostile bark, it was the bark he used for someone like Mayu, a friend. Kouta assumed it was Nozomi, a friend of Yuka's, coming to ask for help in her exams,

"Hey, Nozomi-Chan," he began, "Care to stay for sup—" but when the gate slid open, he found that it wasn't Nozomi, this girl had short, pink hair and pink eyes. She was wearing a black dress that reached to her mid-thighs and pink and black striped stockings. Kouta couldn't even finish his sentence when he saw her. She looked shameful when he opened the door.

"Kouta," she said, her voice scarcely louder than a whisper, "I…I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you and it's probably just about dinner time for you…I'll just be on my way!" she turned to leave but Kouta grabbed her arm,

"It's no trouble!" he cried, "We have an extra place setting anyway." Lucy smiled, but inside she was ready to cry,

"Are you sure?" She asked, "I really wouldn't want to intrude…I mean, after everything I put you through, I don't want to ask anything more of you."

"I mean it," he said, "Come inside, we're having somen." Lucy remembered the last time Kouta and Yuka were planning somen. Kouta led her inside and into the dining room,

"Yuka," he called, "It's a good thing you set that extra place at the table after all!" Yuka called back from the kitchen,

"We've got company?" she asked, poking her head out into the dining room, "Is it Nozomi-Chan? She said she'd be dropping by at some point during the week."

"No," said Kouta, "It's someone we haven't seen in a little while." Lucy entered the dining room, Yuka's face brightened at the sight of their dinner guest,

"Nyu-Chan," she cried, "You're back!" Yuka threw her arms around Lucy's shoulders, "Well, sit down, we're almost ready to eat!" Nana and Mayu entered the dining room to see what all the fuss was about. They both smiled happily at the sight of Lucy, though Nana was clearly less ecstatic than Mayu. Lucy sat where she had always sat when she lived at Kaeda. As supper progressed, life seemed to be going back to normal. Nana had started going to school with Mayu and the two of them told everyone about their day,

"Nana," Mayu chuckled, "Tell them what Ms. Kurosawa did." Nana burst out laughing, almost shooting water out her nose,

"Well, today in math class, this boy was passing some lovey dovey note to Mayu, but they sent it to me by accident. Then, Ms. Kurosawa found that I had the note and read it aloud to the whole class." Mayu tried hard to control her giggles, "Then she said that if he was going to pass love notes to girls, he should at least get their names right." Kouta and Yuka didn't find this quite as amusing as Mayu and Nana.

"Thanks for the meal." Said Lucy, "I guess I should leave now." She got up to walk away but was stopped once again, this time by Yuka,

"You can't leave now, Nyu!" She said, "Why don't you stay for a little while? It could be just like old times!" Mayu and Nana agreed heartily,

"Yeah, it could be just like before." Said Mayu, "All your things are still in your room." Lucy just wished it _could_ be like it used to be. She and Kouta both knew it could never go back to the way it was.

"Sure," Lucy said, "I've missed this place." Yuka smiled,

"We've missed you, Nyu." She said,

"One more thing," Lucy said, "My name isn't Nyu. It's Lucy."

"All the same," Yuka said, "Please make yourself at home!"

That night, Lucy found that they were serious when they said all her things were in her room. The same clothes hung in her closet. The same sheets adorned her bed. They had even left all her trinkets on the windowsill. She looked them over as she changed into her pajamas. They were such silly things: a shiny rock, a button. Then she saw something she didn't expect. A beautiful mahogany box, a golden plate engraved with the word "Lilium" on the top. She opened it and listened to the melody drift out. The inside of the box was coated in red velvet, and something pink and round lay in the bottom. She lifted it carefully in her hands. It was a seashell, soft and pink.

"He kept it…" she said quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks. She lay down on her bed and tried to sleep, but she couldn't. She hoped Kouta would eventually forget what she had done, but she doubted he would. Then again, he had invited her to stay. He was sending her mixed messages and it was pissing her off!

"Dammit, Kouta!" She said between clenched teeth, "What is it that you want from me?" She was just drifting off when she heard her door sliding open. She sat up to see Kouta standing in her doorway.

"What is it?" She asked, "What's going on?" Kouta said nothing. He kneeled down next to Lucy and held her close. Lucy looked shocked, this couldn't happen. Yuka loved Kouta, and Lucy had killed his family.

"W-what are you doing?" She demanded.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," he said, "Not since you left us. I love you, Lucy. Despite what happened." Kouta pulled Lucy close to him and kissed her. Lucy knew this was wrong, she knew it, and yet she couldn't find it in herself to push him away.  
"Damn," she thought, "I hate mixed messages."

Everyone noticed that Lucy was acting strangely over the next few weeks,

"Are you feeling alright, Lucy?" Yuka asked one Sunday during lunch. Lucy tried to think. She was _not_ feeling alright, but she didn't want to tell anyone what she thought it was,

"Um…er…" she said, trying to think of an excuse, "Well, not really…I think I ate some bad tuna the other day from a vendor in town." Mayu looked concerned,

"Maybe we should take you to a clinic." She suggested. Lucy's eyes widened,

"No, no, it's okay! I'll get there by myself, there's a bus that goes right there, doesn't it?" Lucy was beginning to panic. "You know, I'll go right now!"

"Are you sure you're good to go by yourself?" Asked Kouta, Lucy ensured him that she'd be fine.

"I'll just go quickly and be right back. Bye!" Lucy ran out the door, grabbing her purse on the way out.

She went straight to the clinic nearest to the inn.

"How may I help you?" asked the receptionist.

"I…need to see a doctor." Lucy said,

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked again. Lucy shook her head,

"Could I see the doctor anyway?" she queried, "It's kind of important."

"Well," the receptionist said, "I'll see if he's in at the moment, he's very busy you know!" Her conversation with the receptionist continued for several minutes. Finally, the receptionist pointed Lucy to a chair where she could sit down and wait.

Later, when Lucy was finally allowed to see the doctor, she got some unwelcome news,

"No doubt about it, miss," the doctor said, "You're pregnant."


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy was in shock; she could not comprehend what the doctor had just said,

"I'm sorry," she said, "I thought you just told me I was pregnant!" The doctor nodded,

"I get that reaction from a lot of people, especially those as young as you." Lucy simply nodded,

"Well," she said, "Thank you, doctor." She left the clinic, still slightly confused about what had happened. She arrived at the inn and went straight to her room,

"What did the doctor say?" asked Yuka.

"I have a stomach virus, but I should be okay in a few days." She said, "I'm going to go lie down." Kouta looked concerned, he followed Lucy to her room to confront her,

"Look," he said, "What's really the matter?" Lucy debated on whether to tell him or not,

"Nothing…" she said, "Nothing's wrong, I've got something kind of like a stomach virus. You know, something growing…in my stomach…like a virus…but not quite…" Kouta looked confused,

"Okay…if you're sure." He said, "I guess you should get some rest." Lucy nodded. When Kouta left her, she realized she had been holding her breath. This was ridiculous. Lucy couldn't be pregnant! This was going to be a tough nine months.

"It's getting cold out," Yuka said, "It's going to be sweater weather soon." That gave Lucy an idea,

"I haven't got any sweaters," she said nonchalantly, "Maybe we should go shopping for some later this week." Yuka smiled,

"That sounds great," she said, "We should all go." She looked at Mayu and Nana, who nodded,

"It'll be fun," Mayu answered, "A girl's day out!"

That Monday, Yuka, Mayu, Nana and Lucy all went to buy fall clothes,

"Here, Lucy, what do you think of this?" asked Yuka, holding up a dark, reddish-brown, form-fitting sweater dress,

"It's great," Lucy said, "But I was thinking something more like this." She held up a black and green sweater with a loose midriff,

"I think that's a maternity sweater." Said Mayu, looking embarrassed for Lucy,

"Is it?" she asked, "Oh well, I'll see how it fits anyway." She tried to hide her blushing face as she slunk off to the dressing room.

When the four of them returned home, Yuka inevitably wanted to show Kouta all their new clothes,

"I got this little number for myself," she said, holding up a mid-thigh length red dress, "And Lucy got one of these." Yuka showed off one sexy outfit after the next that she had bought for herself. Everyone noticed a striking contrast between Yuka and Lucy's clothing choices. Lucy's head hung further and further and Kouta's face turned paler and paler with each of Lucy's garments,

"I think my stomach's getting upset again." Lucy said. She was worried that Kouta was beginning to catch on. For the next few weeks Lucy kept to herself, wearing her maternity clothes and throwing up in the mornings,

"We should really get you to a hospital if this persists any further, Lucy-San." Mayu said, she had been growing more and more worried each day. It broke Lucy's heart to see everyone worried. It broke Yuka's heart to see Kouta spending so much of his attention on Lucy. She couldn't stay like this, with these people. She wanted to, she really didn't want to leave again, to leave everyone without saying good-bye. She knew, however, that she had to, before they found out. She could imagine what it would be like if they did. It would tear the family apart, Yuka would be so angry with Kouta that she might leave. She wouldn't talk to him for weeks if she stayed. The tension would be unbearable and poor Mayu and Nana would be caught in the crossfire. She scribbled a shaky note on a legal pad:

Dear Yuka, Mayu, Kouta and Nana,

I have to leave. I'm afraid I can't really explain why. Let me tell you that my time with you has been the best time of my life. I apologize for leaving you again so suddenly, but I hope you will all understand.

Hopefully I'll be back some day.

Sincerely,

Lucy

Kouta sighed,

"What is _with _this lady?" he seemed to ask the heavens. He looked to Yuka who nodded gravely,

"Better go find her." She said.


	3. Chapter 3

**A thousand apologies for taking so long to update! I have many a fabulous excuse for why this is, but now is not the time for excuses. No, tis the time for FanFiction!**

It took Kouta less than an hour to find Lucy. Even with one of Kouta's baseball

caps covering her most striking feature, she stood out like a sore thumb walking around in Kamakura. He saw her walking downtown and called her name, but she didn't seem to hear. Kouta eventually followed her to a beach. She sat just within the tide line, her face in her hands. The surf licked her ankles, soaking the bottoms of her jeans. Kouta put an anxious hand on the girl's shoulder. Lucy looked up and revealed that she had been crying,

"W-why did you come here?" She stutered between sobs. Kouta rolled up the cuffs of his own jeans and sat down beside her, putting his left arm around her shoulder.

"I've been looking all over for you. Everybody's really worried." He said, giving Lucy a stern look, "Why'd you leave so suddenly?" Lucy's lip quivered, she could feel the tears coming. She buried her face in Kouta's shoulder and began to weep once again,

"I…" She began, her words made nearly unintelligable through her tears, "I'm…I'm pregnant." Kouta's eyes widened. This was certainly not what he was expecting,

"You…you can't be serious! Who's…" He said,

"You." Lucy interrupted. She sobbed quietly as Kouta wrapped his arms around her. He held her close for a long time. By the time her tears had subsided, it was nearly dark and the water level had risen to nearly the level of Lucy's bent knees. Lucy wiped her eyes as the two stood up,

"But," Lucy began, "What will we tell the others? They're bound to find out." She bit the tip of her thumb worriedly. Kouta patted her shoulder and smiled,

"Don't worry about it. We'll think of something."

Meanwhile, back at the inn, the other members of the house anxiously prepared supper. Yuka furiously mutilated a green onion as Mayu and Nana looked on in horror.

"Yuka…" Nana said, eyes wide in terror. Yuka whipped around,

"What?" She demanded. Nana looked as though she might start crying,

"Yuka-San, you're frightening me! Stop it!"

Yuka sighed. She placed her knife gently down on the cutting board.

"I'm sorry," She said, "I've just been a bit on edge lately, what with college exams and having to keep the house together…and now I'm worried about those two being out for so long…" Yuka walked into the living room and slumped down into a chair, "I'm sorry, you two. I'm just tired."

"Don't worry," Mayu said, smiling, "Why don't we finish up dinner?"

"Yeah!" Cried Nana, "We'll make a yummy supper for Yuka and for everyone!" Mayu and Yuka chuckled nervously at the thought of Nana in the kitchen. Just then, the three of them heard a noise at the front door. Yuka's face brightened,

"That must be them now!" She said. Sure enough, there they were.

"We're home!" Kouta called, "Sorry about that." Yuka looked slightly impatient, but glad that the two were back,  
"Just where did you go anyway?" She sighed. Kouta scratched the back of his head embarrassedly,

"Well, er…" Kouta began. Lucy looked worried, was he going to tell them? Kouta continued before Lucy could raise objections, "I kinda got lost…so Lucy was the one who found me in a sense. Anyway, by the time everybody was un-lost, we both realized we were really hungry." Kouta held up a large plastic bag, "So we decided we'd get takeout." Lucy smiled. Nana, on the other hand, looked infinitely disappointed.

"Awwww!" She said, crossing her arms and pouting, "I was going to make a yummy supper for everybody!" Nana continued to pout, Yuka and Mayu eached heaved a sigh of relief.

Nana and Mayu were the only ones who spoke during supper. There were too many things the others just couldn't say.

"So, Lucy-San," Mayu said, swallowing a bite of onigiri, "Just why did you run off like that? I mean, you just got back a couple weeks ago." Lucy's cheeks turned as pink as her hair as she scraped desperately at the corners of her mind for something, anything, to keep her secret safe,

"Well," She began, "Well I…There was something I thought I had to do that I know realize that I don't, er, have to do…" Lucy prayed that this answer would be satisfactory. Mayu shrugged,

"Oh, alright then." She said, immediately returning to her food. Lucy and Kouta both realized at that moment that they had been holding their breath. But they weren't the only ones who had too much on their minds. Yuka sat at the other side of the table, cheerlessly nibbling her own supper, tears growing in her eyes each time Kouta looked at Lucy.

_Why_? She thought, _What's wrong with me that I would be jealous of Lucy? After all, she's still Nyu, isn't she? Still the girl who lived with us so happily for all that time, isn't she? I honestly thought I'd gotten over all that, but I can't help but feel like something's not right…_


End file.

Elfen Lied, Humor, Romance