Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ Life In A Bottle ❯ Dreams Do Come True ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

-----Author’s note: I hope you all had a rocking Decemberween! Decemberween is the politically correct way of me saying ‘happy holidays’ to everyone, regardless of what you’re celebrating.

Holy crap, it’s been nearly a month since I updated this story! Sorry, you few people who care! I’ve been keeping busy with other stuff, though. Mating Season’s all done, now, and that had taken a lot of my spare time. Plus, I was busy with school.....not really, I’ve been on break all December. I DID make Dean’s list, though, for the Fall quarter, so it’s not like I don’t put time into studying.....I pretty much just wanted to say I made Dean’s list. Anyway, break ends January second, so I’ll be a full time student again, soon. Whether or not that affects writing remains to be seen, as college algebra may very well kick my ass, a feat once thought to be impossible.

I do not own Negima!, but any other ideas and characters are my own. Enjoy.....-----


“Sunshine.....look, I’m sorry.....”

“You not sorry! Why.....Why you do that? Why you lie to me?”

The look of hurt in her eyes was killing him. What made it all worse was that he was lying to her right now. He had never seen that baby before in his life. His mouth open just slightly, Connor found himself struggling with what to say. Lying in the nurse’s office, he found himself only able to look at her from across the room with sad eyes.

Ku Fei turned around so she didn’t have to see his face. Or rather, to hide the tears forming in her eyes. She had marched into the room, prepared to not only physically beat him, but to also morally reprimand him. But when it came time to do it, she found the words near impossible to grasp, and getting anywhere near him appeared to be impossible.

“Say something,” She demanded, the strength in her voice barely covering up the hurt.

Wishing he was anywhere else but where he was, Connor lowered his bandaged head back down onto his pillow, “I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but.....”

She let her head droop a little upon hearing him say that. What had she been hoping for? The silence between the two lasted for a few seconds. The entire time he was praying she’d just turn around and tell him it was ok, that she forgave him, that things would stay the same. He wanted her to say that he meant enough to her that she could get by this. He wanted her to say anything, and this time it was his turn to ask of her.

“Say something.....” He got it out, but it barely broke whispering.

Ku Fei dipped into her pocket, slowly taking out a piece of paper, which she crumpled up into a little ball. When she turned to throw it at him, he could see the tears glistening on her cheeks, “You a monster.”
He glanced at the bit of paper sitting on the bed, recognizing it as the letter he had left before his excursion to the Tatsumiya shrine. Ku Fei slammed the door shut behind her as she ran off.
Connor opened his eyes, exhaling a little harder than he had meant to. Nodoka was now in the room, a little blush on her face as she realized she had closed the door a little too loud, “I’m sorry, Connor-sensei, did I wake you up?”

Had he been dreaming? His throat was raw, and his head was throbbing. He shook his head a little to tell her ‘no’.

“W-Were you crying?” The girl asked timidly, sitting down beside him in the little fold up chair that was left for guests.

The slightly drowsy man turned his head to look at her, not surprised to find honest-to-God concern in her eyes. He ran his sleeve across his face, “You’re too nice for your own good, love. What are you doing here?”

“I just.....I came to talk to you.”

“If it’s anything about me, then no. I know, normally I would be the best topic to discuss, but I’m not in the mood, right now.”

“Connor-sensei.....”

“How many times do I have to tell you people not to call me that? For the love of-”

“It’s about the baby.”

With a sigh, the PE instructor replied, “Which is, unfortunately, tied in with me, so no.”

“And Serac-san.”

His eyes now closed, Connor sighed yet again, “How do you know him?”

Nodoka’s hands were folded neatly on her lap as she looked on intently at the man before her, her mind falling back to the day before, “He took me from the library, and then took me to Osaka.”

“No doubt he spewed a bunch of garbage about Fate and life on the way. What a tool.”

“He did. He told me that I am supposed to take care of the baby w-with.....Negi-sensei.....” She whispered the last part so quietly that Connor barely heard her. Her face was now lowered to her hands, which were fidgeting with one another.

“So he played the crush card, huh? Did he tell you that you’d both fall madly in love while bonding with the baby, and would live happily ever after, too? He’s setting you up for a fall. You need to stay away from him. He’s a never ending train wreck of problems, and I don’t want you anywhere near him,” Connor opened his eyes as he said this, giving her a serious look to help try and get his point across.

The shy librarian looked away from his stern eyes, “H-He didn’t say we would live happily ever after. But I think.....maybe it can work like that.....”

“Oh, really? And where exactly do I fit into the equation? After all, Negi and the whole 3-A gang thinks this kid is mine, right?”

“Not everyone knows about it, yet.....”

“Don’t kid yourself. Gossip-girl was there, everyone knows by now,” Connor motioned to the window, the early morning sun hanging low in the sky, “And if they don’t, they will by the time the bell rings. If I’m taking care of MY kid, how are you and Negi gonna play house?”

Reaching into her pocket, Nodoka’s shaky hand brought out a sheet of paper. She offered it to him, her face red and her hand trembling.

Connor, rather ungracefully, snatched the paper from her and skimmed it over, “What the hell is this?”

“It’s f-from the headmaster.....He spoke with Serac-san, last night. After he sent me back home, I think. I went to see him this morning to talk to him about the baby, and he already knew everything that was going on, and gave me that.”

“Still haven’t told me what it is,” Connor pointed out, sitting upright and swinging around so his legs were hanging over the side of the bed.

“When you sign it, you’ll be signing over the baby to me, and relinquishing all rights as her father,” The look on Nodoka’s face told him that she was having a hell of a time telling him to do that.

“I’m not her real father. How can I relinquish rights I don’t even have?”

“According to all of the paperwork, you ARE her father. Serac-san said he would take care of everything, and it looks like he did. The headmaster will receive legal custody of the baby, and she’ll be living on campus with me.”

“Sunshine’s no doubt already pissed at me for this mess, but what would she think of me if I did that? What kind of person would do that? Write off their kid like some piece of trash they don’t want anymore?”

“It’s really not so bad.....she’ll understand when you explain it all to her.....”

Connor slapped his hand holding the paper down onto the mattress, “I’m never going to explain this to her, and neither are you!” He was raising his voice slightly, and Nodoka was forcing herself to not shrink away, “I never want her to know what’s really going on!”

“B-But why not? She’ll forgive you if she finds out the truth.....”

“I.....” He found himself looking at the piece of paper, and right after that he found himself fishing out his pen to sign it, “I’d rather have her hate me.....than have her know anything about Serac.....”

He handed the now signed paper back to Nodoka, who accepted it, even if regretfully, “Why? Is he really so bad?”

“That bastard ruined my life, and I’m not gonna be the window that gets him into Sunshine’s. No way in hell,” He slid over the side of the bed, landing on bare feet, the cold floor sending a chill up his legs. Stepping passed Nodoka to get his socks and boots, he muttered, “I was never a good match for her, anyway.”

“She’s really upset.....she ran off to the dojo last night. I think you should go talk to her. If you’re not going to tell her the truth, at least say you’re sorry. I think it’ll mean a lot to her, even though she might not say it,” Nodoka rose from her chair, stopping at the foot of the bed to watch Connor slide his boots on, “I know it’s none of my business, but.....what did Serac-san do that made you hate him so much?”

Connor finished tying his boots, and grabbed his coat from the hanger on the wall as he passed Nodoka on his way to the door, “It’s what he didn’t do,” He muttered, slamming the door shut behind him.

-

Back and forth, back and forth.....

Negi couldn’t help but smile as he watched Chachamaru cradling the baby in her arms, gently swaying back and forth as she hummed a song he couldn’t place. He wanted to ask her what it was, but saying anything and breaking the tranquility of the moment would be a crime, and one he wasn’t willing to commit. They were sitting side by side on her bed, Konoka’s old one, just soaking in the peaceful atmosphere. Asuna was out doing her deliveries, and class wouldn’t start for another couple of hours.

It was amazing. He was watching her take care of the baby like it just came naturally to her. He knew she was incredible before, but seeing her in this new setting just brought his admiration of his student to a new plateau. There weren’t many other people he would want by his side in a fight, and there weren’t many people he would want by his side in life, either. She was amazing.

As he traced her careful arms up to her shoulders and up her neck to her face, he found thin streams of liquid meandering their way down from her eyes. Her usually expressionless face had just a hint of sadness in it as she continued to hum, gazing at the baby in her arms.

“What’s wrong, Chachamaru-san? Are you ok?” He asked before even realizing he had spoken.

The android turned her head a little to look at the boy beside her, finding it made her feel no better, no matter how much she appreciated that he cared enough to ask. Indeed, she only felt worse when her eyes met his.

“Negi-sensei.....I am sorry, I just.....Seeing and holding the infant makes me.....It is just another thing I know I cannot have, and it hurts. I know it is strange, because at one time, such things did not matter to me. Over time, though, time with.....with you.....has made me.....” She stopped talking, her throat freezing up as the coolant in her systems tried to fight off the threat of overheating. Her face had taken on a reddish color.

Negi shook his head, “It’s not just because of me, Chachamaru-san. Remember when Asuna-san and I followed you, and found you doing all of those nice things for people? You were always kind, and you’ve only gotten kinder. That you would want a baby of your own just tells me that you’re just as normal and human as everyone else. Ha, ha, actually, if everyone was more like you, we would all be better off. Chachamaru-san, I’m sure that one day you’ll have a baby of your own,” The young teacher gave her an encouraging smile.

At the sight of the young boy’s smile, coupled with his kind words, Chachamaru was pretty sure that something in her chest had short-circuited. Or imploded. She surely shouldn’t have such feelings, even with the gradual upgrades Hakase had been administering. Maybe there was something more to her then even she knew. After all, she was powered by both science and magic, and magic was oftentimes unpredictable.

“Do you really think that?” Chachamaru asked, averting her eyes from the boy, staring back down at the baby. If she continued to look at Negi, she wasn’t sure any amount of coolant would save her from malfunctioning.

“Of course I do. I can tell you’ll be a great mother, one day.....” Negi was now seriously considering talking to Hakase about constructing a baby for Chachamaru. Chachamaru might not be able to have one the conventional way (which he still wasn’t a hundred percent clear on), but she deserved one as much as anyone else did, if not more so.

“But.....it would not be right of me to raise a child by myself.....” Chachamaru found herself stepping out into prodding for some kind of hint from Negi that maybe he would be interested in filling the father role for her, one day.

“I know what you mean. My sister raised me all by herself. She had a few helping hands along the way, but I’m sure it was really hard on her. I never knew where my dad was, and my mom.....” Negi’s face went a little sad, “I never knew her, and Nekane never talked about her. For all I know, she could be somebody I passed by in the streets back home every day, she could be.....not alive.....anymore, I don’t know. But.....Chachamaru-san, I’ll bet that when you take the risk and really show the world who you are, there would be thousands of men lining up to be with you.”

Chachamaru, even though she knew it wasn’t a great idea for her stability, lifted her eyes back up to her teacher’s.

“It doesn’t matter what you’re made of,” Negi stated, love and care clearly visible in his eyes, “Because I know you’re as human as I am.”

A feeling she was both afraid of and loved took control, and Chachamaru found herself leaning over and pressing her lips against Negi’s. It was wonderful. He had said that she needed to take the risk and show people who she was, and this felt like a huge risk. There was no way she would have traded that moment for anything, though, and she was particularly careful to make sure it was all being recorded. It only got better when she felt Negi’s initial shock fade away as he returned the kiss. What a wonderful-

The dorm room door opened up, and a rather stunned librarian found herself speechless at the sight before her. It took her several seconds of wide-eyed staring before Nodoka could get out even one word, “N-Negi?” She asked, tears forming in her eyes.

-

“Stay down or I’ll break your neck, next,” Connor growled, breathing heavy as he leered down at the teen he had just thrown to the ground. The guy’s arm was quite obviously broken, jutting out at an unpleasant angle from the elbow. Connor had blood trickling down the side of his head, and he wasn’t positive, but he may have fractured something in his left leg. The tens of men lying on the ground all around him weren’t doing any better, though, and most were unconscious.

Still surrounded, one of the men in a black uniform pointed at him, “You broke chairman Fei’s heart, so now we’re gonna break your legs!”

A second one, this guy behind Connor, added, “Anyone who would make her cry is a monster! You couldn’t hurt her physically, so you went and hurt her emotionally!”

A third fighter, this in front of him but a little to his left, spouted, “You’re disgusting!”

“I’m gonna talk to her even if I have to pop off each of your heads to do it. So either back the hell off, or get ready to have your ass handed to you with all the trimmings. Your choice.”

Ku Fei watched from inside the dojo as Connor was swallowed up in the waves of pissed off men who had spent a lot of last night trying to make her feel better. Chao was by her side, and she asked, “Are you ok?”

Ku Fei nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“You know, he hasn’t used any magic. You think it’s some sort of gesture?”

Ku Fei shook her head, remaining silent.

“I think you should go talk to him. At least stop them from killing each other,” Chao added, watching as a man in a red uniform flew up into the air, landing on a nearby roof, his back breaking his fall.

The blonde Chinese girl burst outside, which caused everyone to stop moving at once, all eyes falling onto her. Two guys were holding onto Connor’s arms, and one was clinging to his leg. The PE teacher’s other leg was holding him up, an opponent’s head resting beneath his boot, the head’s owner whimpering a little.

“Go inside!” Ku Fei shouted, pointing towards the dojo.

“But chairman-”

“Go!”

No more words. Connor found himself quite alone out in the warm morning with Ku Fei, all of his enemies, even the ones he had defeated, were gone. It looked like the girl he had always been so casual with commanded a bit more respect than he thought. The sky was very slowly getting brighter as the sun made its way higher and higher.

“Sunshine, I think we should talk about last night.....” Connor stated, waiting to see what she would say, do.....hell, he wished he could just see what she was thinking. Her face was expressionless, which was something he honestly hadn’t anticipated. He had expected tears, anger, sadness, confusion, betrayal, something, anything. The plateful of nothing he was being handed, though, felt worse than everything else he had braced for. The thought that he didn’t have any visible affect on her was awful, no matter how selfish of him that was, that’s what he felt.

“Say she not yours, tell me where she come from,” The girl spoke quietly her eyes locked on his, though they betrayed no feelings.

Exhaling deeply, Connor told her what Nodoka said he should, “I’m sorry,” He stated softly. It was true as all hell, even if it had been a suggestion from the meek librarian.

That was when the fifteen foot gap between the two was no longer enough. Ku Fei’s face lost its expressionless veil, and her bottom lip quivered as she turned to walk away, dropping a wad of paper as she did, “You a monster,” She muttered just loud enough for him to hear.

Ignoring the feeling that he had just been punched in the stomach, he moved to stop her. In that dream he had gone through she had left the note he gave her, and he was willing to bet that the wad of paper on the ground, now, was that same note. He wasn’t going to let it happen the same way, though. He had to at least try to make it end differently.

The space between them lost beneath his quick steps, Connor caught her by the arm, “Ku Fei.....I lo-”

He was silenced when she whipped around and swung her open hand across his face.

“She slapped him.....” Chao mumbled, just as surprised as the cluster of men around her, all watching the scene unfold from the dojo.

The tears in her eyes and on her cheeks told Connor that he did have an affect on his student, but it only made him feel worse than he did moments ago. Releasing her arm, he didn’t bother to turn and face her.

“I want you move out,” Ku Fei sniffled, continuing towards the dojo, not looking back.

The door to the dojo slammed shut, leaving the man in black alone out in the early morning.


-----Author’s other note: That Chachamaru/Negi scene was pretty good, wasn’t it? Then I had to screw it up at the end, like that. Connor’s got his share of problems, too. The melodrama and young love issues promise to continue as I think to the future.....

By the way, I haven’t named the baby, yet! Nodoka’s going to name it, but since I don’t have a good feel for Nodoka thinking, I don’t know what to do. If anyone has a good baby name to use, please tell me!

Thanks for reading.....-----