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"Yes, hello? Yes, this is Howard. ...mhmm... Oh! Well, that's certainly news. Are you going to pick for us? Oh... I mean, I guess that would in theory be a good idea, but I'm not sure how comfortable my daughter would be with evaluating people like that..."

"I would what? Who's that?" Kira asked, poking her head in the door to her father's studio office, having been passing by before overhearing part of the phone call.

"Oh, Kira!" The Espeon was taken aback by his daughter's interruption, before quickly saying into the phone "Yes, she's here, hand on a second." He gently set the phone down on his desk before saying "Melissa - er, Ms. Hendershot - from the adoption agency says she's found three potential couples you might be interested in as adoptive parents. She was suggesting that she can coordinate a meeting with each couple for us so you can pick which couple of the three you like most, and then work from there to see if you want to go through with them for the adoption."

"Oh..." Kira thought for a moment. "Like a job interview?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Okay..." the Vulpix answered, trailing off a bit uncertainly as she considered the situation.

"Here, hang on," Mr. Sune said, picking up the phone. "Hi, Melissa? I'm going to let you talk directly to Kira. Yeah. Okay, here you go," he finished, holding the phone out to his daughter.

"Hello?"

"Hi Kira, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, thanks."

"That's good to hear! Well, I've been keeping an eye out for families that have been coming through the agency for someone that you might like, as well as just keeping my ear to the ground for anyone that might be interested. Based on what you've said before, I've found three couple you might like, so I was thinking I'd like you to meet them soon."

"I would definitely like to meet people before agreeing to the adoption, but...Are they gonna know they're one of three? I don't want to make it seem like a contest or something..."

"All they know is that I'm working as a personal counselor, separate from the agency, for a young mother-to-be in a more-sensitive-than-normal situation. If you're okay with meeting people, I would just let them know you'd like to meet them and see if they'd be what you want for your kid."

"I... okay. I guess it just feels a bit weird telling someone "I might give you a kid" and then saying "no"..."

"I've made it known that, because of your situation, you would likely be very selective, so they know the ball will be in your court. The two couples going through the agency would certainly not be losing an opportunity - our agency has each family, after passing home inspection, make an adoption profile for birth mothers to look at. Choice is a big factor in how we work."

"Oh, okay then, I guess that's better. So I'll have family profiles I can look at for those two couples?"

"For one of them, yes. The second couple just passed their home inspection the other day and haven't put their profile together yet."

"So meeting them in person would be very helpful, then."

"Yes, and the couple I've found through word of mouth."

"Okay... Would I be meeting them at your office, or their homes, or what?"

"Whatever works for both you and each couple. What would you prefer - my office, their house, your house, somewhere neutral like a café?"

"Oh, uh... I think I don't care that much, whatever gives the best - er, most accurate impression of each couple would be good. I guess that would mean their house, but I don't want to force myself on people. So I guess whatever they feel would be most natural."

"Okay, I'll ask what potential meeting times and places work for them. What times next week work for you?"

"Hmm well I don't have a schedule at all, but I would kind of like to have Zane with me... and daddy would need to get me anywhere, so maybe I'll put him back on and you can ask him?"

"Ah, sure thing sweety. It was nice talking to you!"

"Nice talking to you too, Ms. Hendershot, bye!" With that, the Vulpix handed off the phone back to her father, then excused herself from his studio office, her imagination spinning up as it quickly created far more than three couples, giving her many possibilities for what kind of family the little Vulpix growing in her womb would end up joining. She didn't get any more schoolwork done that day, even after Keith and Zane came home.

---

Valentine's Day was a few days later, with Zane getting up very early to ride his bike over to the Sunes' house, personally delivering flowers and a box of chocolate to Kira, along with a care package from his mom to his girlfriend and a King Size KitKat package for Keith just for fun. Keith and his father then left to go do errands, giving the young couple some time alone.

"These are delicious, Chris," the Vulpix said through a mouthful of chocolate before swallowing and giving her boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek.

"You're welcome, hun," he said, patting her leg. "I figured chocolate was probably a good choice for Valentine's Day."

"I would have never figured we would have a serious, chocolate-and-flowers, time-to-ourselves Valentine's Day before high school..." Kira added, he words trailing out with a bit of depression before she reached to the box and grabbed three more chocolates.

"No kidding... Though I think it's warranted, what with - dang, you're really digging those chocolates, huh?"

Kira was already picking up another one. "I am... I don't know why, but these are REALLY hitting the spot right now. More so than chocolate normally does for me..." She stopped for a moment, staring in to space as Zane saw the gears turning in her head. They were silent for a moment or two as Kira thought, then her arms flopped down into her lap as she turned her head to stare at the Electrike. "Chris, I think this chocolate has triggered my first craving."

Zane took a moment before managing an "oh."

Kira stared at the half-eaten box of fancy chocolates, then closed it quickly as she hopped up off the couch and headed to the kitchen. "I'm going to save those for later so I can truly appreciate them separately from my taste buds saturating how good they are. In the meantime, I can get - these!" she said, pulling a bag of unsweetened baking chocolate chips from the pantry. Zane craned his head a bit to watch as she poured out a big pawful of the pieces, dumping them into her mouth a moment later.

The blissful, satisfied sound she made caused her boyfriend to shift a little uncomfortably on the couch, her pleasure so audible it made his crotch stir a little bit. It was still a bit of a humorous situation, though, so his tone was quite light as he teased "So I guess your entire lunch will be a bowl of chocolate chips, then?"

"Actually..." Kira answered from the kitchen, now reaching up to the cupboard where all the flatware was. "Yes!"

Zane just shook his head, chuckling as she poured herself chocolate chips as if they were cereal.

"They do need something a bit more, though..." the Vulpix mused, first surveying everything in the refrigerator, then returning to the pantry. "Ah! That sounds like it'll do..."

Zane couldn't see what she had chosen, but when she sat back down her could see and smell it.

"How much chili powder did you dump on that??"

"Almost a quarter of the bottle! Doesn't it smell AMAZING?" she asked, getting herself a spoonful of here chili-chocolate "cereal".

"If you say so..." Zane replied as he watched her dig in, the fire-type moaning in ecstasy again as she snacked on her chocolate. It touched off a feeling inside of him again and a twinge below the belt, but he repressed it, just resting chin in paw, elbow on his knee, as he shook his head in mild amusement at his girlfriend's craving.

She went through nearly half of the bowl before deciding to take a pause, setting the bowl down with a satisfied, spicy fire-breath "aahh~" and patting her growing belly. She sat happily there for a moment, then became thoughtful. She stared down at her baby bump, then at the half-eaten bowl of chili-powder-covered chocolate chips. "Chris, what's happening to me?" she finally asked, slumping and rubbing her forehead defeatedly.

"Life is happening to you," he said, looping an arm over her shoulders, "and you're handling it wonderfully. I love you," he added with a kiss to the side of her golden muzzle.

"Even with my psycho cravings and the fact I'm blowing up like a balloon?"

The Elctrike chuckled, nuzzling the side of her head. "I think you're perfectly sane and absolutely gorgeous, you know that."

She chuckled as well, though (playfully) played devil's advocate by retorting "You're my boyfriend, you're supposed to say those things! Especially on Valentine's Day! How do I know you're not just humoring me?" She undercut her words with a cute return nuzzle into his neck.

"Well, you'll just have to take my word for it," he replied, patting her shoulder. "I mean, there is some physical proof as well, but I think that'd be inappropriate," he added, shifting in his seat to try to minimize the appearance of the physical proof he was mentioning.

Kira opened her eyes and looked up at him questioningly, wondering what that was supposed to mean. He tried to deflect her questioning gaze with a kiss on the nose, and it seemed to work for a moment. But after a short pause, he heard a quiet "oh!" from next to him, and he saw her eyes dart down to his crotch, making him squirm uncomfortably some more and wish he hadn't said anything to that effect. His girlfriend just chuckled, though, patting his thigh and relaxed back on the couch, picking up her chocolate bowl for another bite.

A moment later, though, she gave a suspicious "hhmmmmm" as a smirk crossed her face, her eyes casting a sidelong glance in Zane's direction. "Now that you mention it, I think I would like seeing that proof..."

Zane's eyes widened a little bit, the Electrike a little intimidated by the insinuation, but unable to stop another twinge from down below. "Uhhh w-well I didn't mean for a Valentine's Day "date" like that, the chocolate and flowers really were just because - and I didn't, um, bring a... a..."

"A what?" she teased, now leaning in to him very suggestively. Then, with a whisper, she added "It's not like I can get double-pregnant, you know..."

He smiled despite himself at that thought.

He would later think, though, that theorizing what kind of family your kid would have would win the award for most unique, unlikely pillow talk. At least Kira was humming "I Feel Pretty" while she and Zane helpedher brother and father unload groceries when the other two got home from errands, so that was a positive step forward.

---

Ms. Hendershot organized meetings with the three potential couples fairly quickly - Kira and Zane could meet the two couple the Togetic found through her agency - Piers and Morgan Anthony, a Sandslash and Ninetales, and Patricia Eccles and Victoria Eccles-Mendez, and Nidoqueen and Mandibuzz - on Thursday evening, and Kira would visit the third independent couple - Kenneth and Laine Clark, a Houndoom and Mightyena - at their house Friday afternoon before they left for their annual anniversary vacation.

The three teens did as much of their homework as they could Thursday afternoon before Mr. Sune took Kira and Zane up to Ms. Hendershot's office to meet the first two couples. The two teens sat in back, taking their original guesses for who the potential families might be and comparing those with what they knew of these two couples.

"I'm just wondering, though," Kira said as they pulled in to the agency's parking lot, "why they decided an office would be the best location to meet, considering the third couple is welcoming us in to their home, and there are more casual options out there as well."

"I mean, it's easy," Zane suggested offhandedly. He honestly wasn't sure what it meant either, though, if it did in fact mean anything.

"The office building here seems so stiff to me..." Kira continued as they got out of the car. "Offices are too formal and kinda intimidating."

"Well, you do what you can..." Mr. Sune interjected, ushering the two teens inside. They made their way to the agency and in to Ms. Hendershot's office, a few minutes early for when she had asked them to show up.

"Ah, there you are!" the Togetic greeted brightly. "Good to see you all; how are you doing today, miss Kira? Please, do sit!" The four of them took their respective seats.

"So which couple is coming first, and when?" Kira asked.

"The Eccles will be here first, about fifteen minutes from now, and then the Anthonies next."

"Okay. Um, how close is that "next" going to be? They won't be passing each other on the way in and out, will they?"

"I asked the Anthonies to be here about an hour after I asked the Eccles to be here. That way, we all would have time for a bite to eat for an early dinner even if the Eccles go up to half an hour with you. Since this is just a meet and greet session and we won't be doing any paperwork, I don't think either of these meetings should be too incredibly long."

Kira nodded. "Sounds like a plan then."

"I hope so! Now, we still have time before Patricia and Victoria get here, do you have any question for me about this whole process?"

The golden Vulpix thought for a moment. "Umm... I can't think of anything in particular at the moment, not aside from what we've talked about before."

"Okay! Well, I'll be mostly quiet while you meet the couples, but I'm here to help moderate and answer any questions you might have, so feel free to ask whenever! Remember to relax and just enjoy, that's the best way to get to know people."

"Right."

Mr. Sune spoke up from his chair in the back corner of the room. "Kira hun, do you want me in here while you meet people, or would it be more comfortable for you to not have me hovering?"

"Umm... I think I would feel more comfortable if you stayed here, just as a show of support..."

The Espeon nodded. "Okay, I'll just hang out back here. I'll keep my mouth shut unless you want me to speak."

"Thanks, daddy," Kira answered, smiling gratefully his way. Before the Espeon relaxed, Zane caught his eye and they shared a knowing nod, the Electrike nonverbally letting Mr. Sune know he might signal the psychic-type to speak up If he thought Kira was needing help for anything. The Espeon hadn't been incredibly warm to Zane this semester - ever since Kira got pregnant, really - but at least he had never voiced any complaints that the boy was visiting his house essentially every day. Zane was glad they seemed to have a working agreement that they both had Kira's happiness in mind.

Soon enough, there was a knock on the office door, which Zane got up to open. The Nidoqueen and Mandibuzz were there, smiling as they entered. Even on first glance, Zane thought they complemented each other fairly well; the Mandibuzz was wiry and a little aloof (but still friendly), while the Nidoqueen was healthily husky, energetic, and personable. Both seemed middle-aged already.

"Oh, hi there!" the poison-type, Patricia, piped up almost instantly, shaking Zane's hand and moving over to Kira immediately. "You must be Kira! Look at that golden fur, aren't you just adorable?"

"Oh, thank you," the Vulpix answered a bit sheepishly. "Ms. Eccles, right?"

"Please, call me Patty!" the Nidoqueen laughed as she sat down in one of the four chairs before Ms. Hendershot's desk. Zane and Victoria also sat as the positon-type continued brightly "And this is my wife Vicki! Introduce yourself, dear."

"Victoria is fine, too," the Mandibuzz said with a smile. "I'll answer to both. Nice to meet you, Kira," she said, also reaching over to shake the Vulpix's hand. "I assume that's Mr. Sune in back there, and... who's this?"

"Zane McKenzie," Zane supplied, waving since he was a bit too far to shake hands.

"He's my boyfriend," Kira explained with a smile. "We've been together three and a half years already."

"So he's the father?" Victoria asked - plainly, not suspiciously or accusingly - but there wasn't time for an answer.

"Aw, that's cute! So nice to hear young people sticking together," Patricia bubbled. "Vicky and I dated for about three years before we got married! We're going to have our twelfth anniversary this coming summer."

"That's great! I don't think Zane and I will be getting married any time soon, though," Kira chuckled. "You two have been together quite a while; you must really work well together."

"It's very natural," Victoria said, nodding sagely.

"So for as long as you've been together, would this be your first kid?" Kira asked.

"Nope! Fourth!" Patricia answered brightly, giving a few light, happy claps along with it.

There was a momentary beat of silence before Kira repeated "Fourth?"

"Yes, fourth..." Victoria answered this time. "Patty can't seem to go two or three years without wanting another newborn in the house."

"Guilty!" the Nidoqueen laughed. "What can I say? I was just made to be a mother! I makes me so happy to have a little one in my arms."

"She does do a great job of it," Victoria added, patting her wife's shoulder (maybe in an attempt to calm he partner's bubbliness). "All of our kids thus far have been darlings. And of course, now that our eldest is starting little league and music and such, she loves driving her around and being the team mom as well, it's not all about newborns."

"Oh of course not, Ii love all aspects of motherhood! It's so cute watching them have fun and making friends on their own."

"Would our kid be your last, then? Four is a lot." Kira asked.

The dark-type laughed. "I would hope so! But I'd never say never with Patty over here. While I would like to stop at four, I think five would still be within our bandwidth. I'd put my claw down at the idea of any more than that, though."

"Understanably..." Patricia added, nodding but still sounding ever so slightly disappointed at the prospect of never being able to have any more kids.

The conversation paused there for a moment before Kira then asked "How old is your eldest at the moment?"

"Sarah is eight, will be nine in April," Patricia answered, digging in to her pocket and pulling out her wallet. "She's a spunky but cute little tomboy Buizel - ah, here she is!" she said, opening her wallet to show two pictures of a Buizel girl, one that looked recent in a little league outfit, and one that looked like it was from a couple years ago on her first day of school, apparently.

Patricia then turned the photo fold to reveal a picture of all five current family members, Sarah standing between her mothers while Victoria held a young Blitzle and Patricia held a toddler-or-younger Pidgey. "The Blitzle is Cory, he's definitely a little sparkplug, it was nearly impossible to get him still for this picture! And the little one I'm holding is Lulu - Sarah named her, if you're wondering."

Kira smiled as she looked at the happy family. "That's adorable. How big is your house?"

"We currently live in a sizeable two-bedroom apartment," Victoria answered, "but we're in the market to find a nice, three- or four-bedroom house. Nothing like one of those McMansions, though we could probably afford one if we wanted to - it's just not my style, I don't like extravagance, including having too much space."

"And I certainly like things cozy!" Patricia added, chuckling as she put her wallet away.

Kira nodded. "I see. So where are you now, and where are you looking?"

"We're just inside the northwest border of Hassneburg proper, and we're looking to go a bit further northwest from there," the Nidoqueen answered, petting her mate's shoulder as she continued "that region of the metro area has much more interesting topography, and we both like that."

"Pretty nice area," the Vulpix commented, nodding some more. "They've got a good school district up there, right?"

"Yup! It's been great for Sarah, and we already know which kindergarten teachers we want for when Cory starts up this fall. So I don't think you'd have anything to worry about if your little one went there with our other three."

"That reminds me, Kira," Victoria cut in, "we know what we, in theory, would be getting from you, but what would you want from us?"

"Uh, pardon?"

"Well, like, Melissa gave us a quick summary of what you were thinking, but what exactly were you thinking in terms of communication, costs, compensation? Those sorts of things."

"Oh! Well, I wasn't thinking of any real payments or anything, I don't want to treat it like I'm "selling" the kid. But for information sharing, I was thinking to be completely open up to the point where you get the kid... Zane and I don't need or want to hear about how our kid is growing up, but we'd like to know as much about you as possible, and I'd be fine letting you in on doctor's visits and such."

"If you don't want any extra compensation, would you at least want help in covering medical expenses?" Patricia asked. "If just so we can help ensure the health of our future kid - potential future kid."

"I... That's a very nice offer..." Kira said, turning to look back at her father to see if this was an "okay" thing to include in a deal like this.

"It IS a very nice offer," Mr. Sune agreed. "We would appreciate it."

"That's getting a little ahead of things, though, right?" Zane asked, a tad uncomfortable with the impression that they were already operating under the impression Kira had agreed to picking these two as the future parents.

He was glad to see the two potential mothers both nod, at least. The Nidoqueen apologized "Yes, sorry about that, I tend to get a bit excitable when it comes to little ones..."

"She does," confirmed the Mandibuzz with a friendly smile. "But the general question is still good; is there anything else you would want from us, either helping you through the pregnancy or concerning how we raise your kid? If you want the adoption to be closed post-birth, we'd have to agree on all that stuff earlier since we wouldn't be working through it in real time."

"I know, I know," Kira responded, thinking more about what she might want. "I mean, I didn't think to hard on that sort of stuff yet. If we decided to start setting up an official agreement, we could work things out then... And that would give me more time to think, too. I really was just hoping to get to know you two better with this meeting now. Like, what do you two do? And since you have three kids already, what's life like in your apartment right now?"

They spent the next ten or so minutes just chatting, Kira mostly nodding along as the two older women painted a picture of their lives for the teen Vulpix. Zane noticed the dark-type glancing over at Mr. Sune occasionally. Whether she was just trying to gauge his reaction or was passively expressing interest in the Espeon, Zane wasn't sure.

Conversation stopped abruptly when a rather loud growl came from the Electrike's midsection, causing the Nidoqueen to give a hearty belly-laugh. "Oh dear, we're keeping a young man from his dinner, aren't we? You need to get some food in that growing body!"

Zane mouthed "I'm sorry?" at Kira, the electric-type unable to exactly read the look she was giving him, while Victoria added "I'll admit, I'm getting a bit peckish myself. Shall we adjourn for our respective evening meals?"

"I would definitely second that motion!" Patricia answered warmly, standing up and stretching a little before reaching forward to shake Kira's and Zane's hands, Victoria stepping forward to finally shake Zane's as well. "Have a good evening you three! Enjoy dinner. Hope to hear from you soon."

"Thank you! You too," Kira said politely as the two nodded to Mr. Sune in parting and exiting Ms. Hendershot's office.

"I think that went well!" the Togetic said happily. "I didn't need to cut in at all. Did that go well for you, miss Kira?"

"Yes, I think that went as well as I thought it could have," the Vulpix responded. "Anyway, so now we quickly go have dinner and come back later to meet the Anthonies?"

"That's the idea, yup!"

"Well, thank you Melissa for organizing all of this for us," Mr. Sune said. "Kids, I think we'll just walk across the street to one of the restaurants in the mall over there, sound good?"

"Sounds good to me, daddy!"

"I'm fine with that," Zane added, falling in step behind Kira and her father as they walked out. Once they were outside and crossing the street over to one of the other strip malls, he asked "So, Kira, what did you think of those two? The seemed fairly nice to me."

"Yeah, I think they were alright," the Vulpix said, "but I kinda want to hold off making any declarations until I've met all three potential sets of parents... Just to give them all equal view."

"Ah, okay; yeah, that sounds good," the Electrike quickly agreed, making a mental note to shut up about it until later. He wouldn't have to wait completely until all three couples were vetted, though.

The Anthonies showed up five minutes late to Ms. Hendershot's office after dinner. The way they swooped in didn't exactly sit well with Zane, either... He got the sense they were slightly self-indulgent. It was also a bit weird to him, seeing that Morgan Anthony, the Ninetales, seemed to be in her mid-fifties at least and rather tall, while Piers Anthony, the Sandslash, seemed like a young, early-thirties business hotshot whose large business stature made up for his short physical stature. He knew there was nothing wrong with age-different couples, but it still made him feel a bit weirdly about them.

"Hello, you must be Kira," Morgan said matter-of-factly as she sat down, nodding to the younger fire-type. "I am Morgan Anthony, and this here is my husband Piers. Right, dear?"

"Indeed, pleasure to meet you," the Sandslash said similarly matter-of-fact-ly. He didn't say another word the entire rest of their meeting.

"Anyway, young lady, I assume this is the father and your father joining us here? Charmed to meet both of you as well. But now, as to the matter of our potential adoption... What is it that you wanted to know from us? I know we're still late on filling out that profile paperwork and such for the adoption agency yet, so what do you want to know?"

The Ninetales' quick, formal speech took Kira aback a little bit, but she collected herself with a swallow and moved forward. "Um, well, is this going to be your first kid?"

"Yes, yes it is," the Ninetales crooned, "my previous husband was completely against the notion, I'm so grateful that Piers here is open to having little ones. Of course, at the age I'm already at, adopting is the much more sensible option than trying to put my body through all the stress of carrying a child... Pregnancy is a job for the young of flesh - the reasonably young, of course!"

Both Zane's and Kira's brows furrowed a bit at that last comment. The Vulpix didn't let it shake her, though, continuing "So, what kind of plan do you have for raising a kid, then?"

"Both my and my husband's mothers will likely be recruited to help out, and I'm already looking in to potential nannies as well. The child won't want for anything, don't you worry, he'll have the best formula and a big room all to himself with brain-building toys and someone always available to take care of any personal issues! He'll also get a fair amount of socialization, both with the kids of some of my friends and when he gets to the day care and the preschool that I'm already looking at."

"Okay... This may be looking rather far forward, but what about school even later?"

"Oh, he'd go to the same set of private schools Piers and I went to. Not at the same time, of course!" she said, giving a very royal-sounding laugh at her own kinda-joke. "The teachers aren't the same as when either of us were there, unfortunately, but I already have several recommendations from some of my friends. Only the best education for my little one!"

Kira nodded. "Out of interest, who are all your friends, generally?"

"Mostly the other wives of Piers' business partners and coworkers. He's an attorney for Los Marres Bank, so it's quite the chatty, educated crew. We regularly have lunch together, go to the theatre, sometimes go enjoy sports games in the nice private boxes our men have. Do you want your kid to do professional team sports? We also many of the best youth coaches in baseball, soccer, lacrosse, basketball... Nothing brutal like battling and such, though, not our style."

"My brother and boyfriend are one of the best double battle teams in our age group."

"Oh. Well, if you all enjoy it, that's what matters, right? Anyway, more about me friends... I still have some from during my previous marriage as well, though most of them have gone quiet since the divorce. Shows you who your true friends are, right? I know who supports me. I've told everyone that I'm finally going forward with trying to adopt, and they all seem at least partially excited about it."

"Well yeah, having a kid is a big deal," Kira said, crossing her arms. She did it in an outwardly relaxed way, but Zane could tell she wasn't exactly liking the situation.

"Oh, certainly! I can't wait to see a little one dashing around our back field. We - "

"Where do you live?" Kira cut off, taking the older fire-type out of her groove.

"Mmmm we live over in Marigold Estates, on the east side of the city. Have you been in that area?" Kira shook her head. "Well, if you ever visit, you'll see how nice it is, I love the size of the lots and the houses there. We certainly could use someone else to have in our current house! Six bedrooms is a lot to fill for a calm, reserved couple like us. It's just so empty, you know?"

"I can imagine," Kira said, Zane getting the sense she was thinking of a slightly different version of "empty" with her response.

"It's one of the drawbacks of our lifestyle... I can't wait to fill it with a young one. Is there something we can do to help you in facilitating the whole potential process? We'd certainly be happy to write you a check, send you gifts, whatever. Oh, wait, I recall Melissa saying you wanted nothing to do with the kid after giving birth, so maybe you wouldn't want gifts."

"I don't want a check; I don't want to feel like I'm selling a child. Getting medical expenses covered would be nice, though."

"Oh, well, yes, I guess we could cover medical expenses and such things. Anything to make sure our kid would be healthy, right hun?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at her husband, but not giving him a real chance to reply before continuing "Anyway, along those lines deary, I hope you'd do your best to keep the kid healthy as well! No alcohol or drugs, right?"

Mr. Sune made a grunting noise from the back of the room as Kira looked slightly flabbergasted. "I'm too young to drink, and my dad would kill me if there were drugs!"

Mrs. Anthony nodded, seemingly unfazed by the indignant air coming from the other half of the room. "I figured as much, but you never know! I didn't think kids your age would party hard like that, but we're not in a normal situation here anyway... Sorry if I offended, was not meant to insinuate anything, I was just trying to cover all potential bases. Those are things all mothers have to consider after all! I don't do drugs or smoke myself, (at least not anymore, college happened of course,) but I don't know if I could go two days without having a mimosa with brunch! Another reason I just don't think I'm cut out for having a pregnancy of my own."

Kira's nose twitched a little, but she continued a fairly decent conversation for several more minutes. Zane had to give Mrs. Anthony some credit - she was very genuine, and honestly didn't seem intent on giving out any slights; she just was coming from a different reality. She was certainly all smiles by the time she declared the meeting over, the Ninetales happily going around to shake everyone's hand before leaving the Togetic's office, her husband following dutifully behind her.

Kira made a slight "hrm", making everyone else in the room wait to hear what she had to say next. She simply shook her head, though, commenting "Well, those were two very different families!"

"That they were," Ms. Hendershot agreed. "Anyway, once the Anthonies get me their profile, I can give you the adoption profiles for both couples. In fact, do you want the Eccles' profile now?"

"Oh, uh, sure," Kira said, walking over to the desk while the fairy-type dug through her paperwork to find a copy. After a few more questions (particularly about Kira's visit to the third couple tomorrow) and some pleasantries exchanged between the ladies, Zane's phone buzzed with a text from his mom, prompting Mr. Sune to suggest it was time to take the Electrike home and make sure Keith hadn't burned the house down in the meantime, which got both of the teens to smirk as they said their goodbyes to the Ms. Hendershot.

Kira started talking almost the instant the car doors had closed and her father started the engine.

"Was it just me, or was Morgan ever-so-slightly judging me the whole time there? Like, I kept getting this hunch that she just didn't approve."

"Maybe," Zane answered, "but I'd guess that's because she probably doesn't approve of teens in general. She's definitely a... rich socialite," he articulated, "I doubt she has a worldview that meshes with us."

"That's true... Her height didn't help, she was essentially always looking down her muzzle at me..."

"I think she might've actually liked you, in a way," Zane added, "she just has no experience in interacting with kids at all is my guess."

"Yeah... and that worries me a bit by itself. I get the sense our kid would see more of a nanny than they would of their parents combined. Which I guess isn't so bad in the grand scheme of things, but no really something I want..."

"A good call," the Espeon commented from the front seat.

"So are we dropping consideration of the Anthonies, then?" Zane asked. "How about the Eccles?"

"Someone wanting their kid to be well-off as a top priority will find the Anthonies," Kira commented simply as she browsed over the profile sheets Ms. Hendershot have given her on the Nidoqueen and Mandibuzz. "They're a really warm couple, or at least Patty was. Victoria was a bit more detached, but I guess having a more disciplined parent to complement a more accommodating one would be a fairly good setup, as long as both were all in on raising and loving their kids... And boy, do they have a lot of kids! I kinda like the idea of our kid having at least one sibling like I have with Keith, but..."

"At what point does it become too much?" Zane completed her thought.

"Exactly. I mean, if they stop at four, our kid would be the baby of the family, but if they go to five I feel like our kid might be lost in the crowd, to a degree..."

"Seems to me like Patrica dotes on all of her babies equally, even when they're no longer babies," Mr. Sune added again.

Kira nodded. "That true, she certainly seems like the type... And Victoria seems like the type to keep everyone organized well enough. I just hope she really is on board with more kids. She seemed okay with it, but she also said she hoped they really stop at four... I hope she doesn't get burned out or anything."

"Yeah..." Zane mused, going over that meeting in his head. "You know, I also saw her glancing at your dad several times while you and Patty were talking."

"Wait, she was? Really?"

"I mean, it was impossible to read her expression, I couldn't tell if she was trying to make eye contact or just trying to read your father's reactions to things."

"Zane," the Espeon cut in, "I saw her glancing my way once or twice, but I don't think it was more or less than anyone normally looks around a room."

"Oh, okay," the Electrike responded mutedly, feeling slightly chided.

Kira fell silent for a moment, contemplating the new bit of information and her father's qualification to it. After a little bit, she shrugged and said "Well, they still seem like a pretty good couple, even if there are a few questions about how many kids they have and what else not... I think I would be okay having them as the adoptive parents... I guess it depends on the other couple I'm visiting with tomorrow, the Clarkes."