A/N: Maddy Cullen: No. We don't have any shame. *evil grin*

Because it'd ruin the story if I put this at the end of the chapter: You just knew we were going to do that, didn't you. –is shameless- Oh, the DRAMA!

Emma danced down the path. The concrete warmed by the Sun passed quickly beneath her bare feet. A bright, baggy red T-shirt and cut-off shorts helped add to her childish appearance. Her short, black curls were held into place by a scarlet ribbon.

She smiled at people walking by, and when she met an elderly couple she asked politely for directions to her friend's house. She paused to play with a puppy before it ran off after its master who smiled and waved at her. She appeared to be a sweet child in a safe community. She wasn't. The community wasn't safe, and she wasn't sweet.

She walked elegantly to the house she wanted. Sable's house. She smirked as she rang the bell.. Her suspicions were right. Lucifer's scent was here.

As the door opened she put on an adorable smile, and a look of uncertainty. She bit her lip. "Um…is this…Sable's house?"

The teenage girl, Sable, looked her up and down, a wary expression on her face. For some odd reason she'd been expecting Luce even though he'd said he wouldn't be back until later that night, and he always kept to his schedule. Never early, but never late either. "Yes." Deep in Emma's heart she felt contempt. This girl may be pretty, but she was nothing. She felt none of Lucifer's pull towards her. He was so soft, despite Zach's claims otherwise. She was doing him a favor.

"Oh." Emma looked down at her feet, the picture of chagrin. "Um, then can I talk to her? Please?" She looked up, her eyes pleading. "It's about Luce."

Sable's breath caught in her throat, but she steeled herself and opened the door, ushering the girl inside. "Come in." Emma came. She stepped lightly in front of a fan, letting her scent be blown around the room.

"Is Sable here?" Her voice was curious, worried, and a tad childish. Perfect.

Sable nodded. "Yes.. You're talking to her." She flipped her hair back over her shoulder as she closed the door solidly behind her. She was still paranoid about Zach. "What is it?"

Automatically Emma's voice was clipped, businesslike. She straightened and somehow she looked intimidating despite how she still appeared like a delicate twig. "You know Lucifer." It wasn't a question. Sable nodded anyway.

"Yes. And since he's sent you here I'm guessing you know him too. What's up?"

Emma smirked. "He didn't send me. I sent myself." She moved over by the pictures, looking at the smiling faces of Sable's family. "You work with The Family?" Yet again it wasn't really a question.. Sable answered again anyway. Something was off with this girl.

"Yes, I do. And if Luce didn't send you then—"

"Scrrrrrrreeeeeeeee?"

"Dom!" Sable's heart pounded. This girl obviously wasn't safe, she had to get him out of here! But Emma just smiled.

"Hi! I'm Emma, and I need to talk about some Family stuff with Sable. Can I get to know your story later?"

After an uncertain look at Sable, who took Emma's hint and nodded woodenly, he left reluctantly. Emma wouldn't hurt him. She wouldn't hurt anyone unless she had to. It would mess up her plans. Emma's laugh was that of a little girl again.

"Ok, it is about Luce. I don't get why he's so drawn to you. Maybe it has to do with The Family, or maybe you're the cause behind that obsession.. I don't care. But you should know that it's a weakness on both your parts. And," She moved quickly, like lightning. She grabbed Sable's wrist tightly, drawing blood. The girl didn't cry out, she just glared. Emma smiled sweetly back. "You know weakness simply cannot be tolerated." She danced to the door, opening it swiftly and waving jauntily. "See you later, Sable!"

A Day After Last Chapter:

Sable's expression was puzzled as she sat down behind her computer. "Hey," she said distractedly.

I waved. "How're you?" I asked.

KIX came in and sat beside me. I gave him a weird look and he shrugged. "Angel said she was busy with Max and Max II and to talk to you guys later. Now is later."

Sable blinked. "Max II?"

KIX explained everything Angel had told him about the mental link and the plot to rip our loyalties and friendships apart from the inside. Sable frowned, and then told us about the girl's visit.

KIX shrugged. "Sounds like a nut--she fits in nicely."

"I dunno. I think it goes deeper than just being a nut," Sable said. She suddenly giggled. "I think she luuuuurves Luce."

I guffawed. "Seriously? You have to ask him about that! He could be clueless--Like KIX and Catlyn."

"HEY!"

Sable grinned. "What's this? I thought our dear Hummer was drooling after Beth!"

"Yeah—and--just—ah! Ana!" He glared at me and turned bright red and I just smirked at him and turned back to Sable.

"He is, but you know how they both are so clueless, right? Well, that new girl, Catlyn, has the biggest crush I have ever seen on KIX—and in true KIX fashion he was clueless, until--"

"Shut up Ana!"

"Until someone pointed it out to him," Sable finished. I nodded. She turned around in her chair. "Hear that, Dom?"

Dom laughed in the background, and I saw his bare feet shuffle down the hall. Sable turned back to us.

KIX hunched down in his seat and grumbled under his breath. "I thought you were going to mention the hat and the duct tape..."

"Oh, stop sulking. I didn't. You just did." I stuck my tongue out at him and smiled at Sable. "You hear that about the duct tape and Nudge's hat?"

Sable grinned. "Do tell."

"NO! Ana don't you dare--"

"They duct taped Nudge's hat to his face when he flirted with Beth in front of Catlyn."

He seemed to disappear into his chair. "And they called me a sexist pig..."

"And he still didn't get it." I finished and shook my head. "Can you believe it? I had to practically spell it out for him."

Sable burst out laughing, and she laughed so hard that tears began to leak out of her eyes. She sighed happily. "I could hug you, KIX. I really could."

He looked at her completely taken back. "But-but I'd only known her a day! And not even a whole day, an afternoon! How was I supposed to--Shut up Ana."

"I didn't even say anything yet!"

"You're going to!"

I glared at him good naturedly. "Now I'm not."

"Fine! I get it! I'm clueless." He crossed his arms. "Anybody mind helping the clueless guy out?"

"Tell Beth," Sable and I said in unison.

His eyes about popped out of his head and he just about choked. "WHAT? Are you insane! I can't do that!"

"You were the one who asked us," I said.

"Fine." He got up and headed for the door only to come back and plop back onto his seat. "How?"

Sable thought for a moment, still wiping at her eyes. "First of all. Why do you like her?"

Kix turned bright red. "Well, she's not the one who duct taped the hat to my face..." he mumbled.

Sable smiled. "Is she funny?"

"Hilarious."

"Pretty?" KIX nodded mutely, but emphatically. "Can you talk well around her?" KIX shook his head vigorously. "Does she make your stomach get tied in knots, make your chest tighten up, make you feel giddy just by smiling?" KIX's eyes were wide as he nodded again.

Sable, still smiling, said, "And if she didn't, if she was ugly, if she never smiled again, if she couldn't speak, see, hear, or even know you existed anymore—if she were in a permanent comatose state, would you stay by her side and love her, take care of her, do the dirty work involved in that—for the rest of your lives?"

That startled KIX. It startled me as well. She'd gone from asking lovey-dovey questions to the hard-core, 'true meaning of love'—and the way she phrased it opened my eyes again to the true meaning. How amazing the truth about 'love' was.

KIX nodded. "I would," he said firmly.

Sable beamed. "You love her! Squee! Just wait till I tell her!"

His mouth was gaping open like a fish and for a moment he couldn't get any words out, and then--"No! NO! Sable--don't tell her! I'll do it! I swear!"

"Really?" She squee'd again. "Good! Or else I'll have Nudge tell her."

I grinned evilly. "Oh, Sable. You are evil."

"Yeah, yeah. Sable's evil, we know that. Beth!" He leaned out the door into the hall, then took off. "BETH! WAIT UP!"

Sable gave me her innocent, thirteen-year-old-angel smile. "So, what about you?" she asked.

My smiled faltered. "What do you think? I have to break up with Fang, and he heard my tell Trin 'I love you', and I do love them both, really...it's just...you know. And I can't even think of what to say to Fang..."

Sable's smile disappeared. She looked at me as if I were stupid. "Well, the truth is a good place to start. But not just 'I love Trin'. Say that you love Trin, you love Fang. But you just heard me talk to KIX..."

"I know!" I exclaimed. "I get all that."

"Then tell Fang that, while you truly love him, you want to be with Trin for forever. What was keeping you with Fang in the first place? Did he make you feel good, important, loved?" I nodded. "That sort of stuff fades quick. Do you think, once it had, you would have been happy?" I shook my head. "What about Trin? I know he adores you—he always will. But someday the romance will fade. It might be in a year, might be in a hundred. Would you stick with him?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "I would."

"Fang understands that. I only had about five minutes to talk with him on IM this morning, but he understands that. He's been waiting for this for a while. He loves you—he wants to marry you. BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER. Don't feel guilty. He doesn't. Just go up to him, state the facts, and then hug, make up, and go talk to Trin. Get things in order. Things'll be awkward, yeah. But that'll pass." Sable paused. "And that's a good deal more than I really should say."

I sighed. "Sable, if I could hug you I would. I'm going to go find Fang now, that OK, Miss Lurv Doctor?"

She regarded me seriously. "Only if you stop calling me that right now," she said. I smiled and nodded.

"See ya, Sabes." I logged out of Messenger and tucked the laptop under my arm and headed out the hall and up the stairs. I passed the laptop off to Gazzy and Igs on the way. I paused at the door. "Fang?"

"Come in," he rasped.

I felt like I was walking on broken glass as I made my way over to where he was. I leaned on the wall. "Fang… Damn it; you know what I'm going to say." I looked away and rubbed my neck. "…I'm sorry. I really am. It's just…"

"It's just you love him." He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at me and my breath caught in my throat. "I get that. We were never meant to be, but…Remember me, OK?"

"I will." I sat by him and leaned against him. "I'm sorry. I love you both. It's just…"

"Yeah." He rubbed my arm. "I know."

"You're making this too easy," I sighed. "I feel like I should be in tears or something. Or maybe you should be."

"This isn't a soap opera."

"Goodness, it feels like it." I sighed. "I'm so stupid."

Fang shook his head. "We all are."

"I'm the worst." I closed my eyes. "So...this is goodbye...in a way."

I could feel him glaring at me. He took one of my shoulders and shook it. "You're right. You're an idiot," he growled. "We're still best friends."

I smiled. "Yeah... I guess it's KIX's turn to have the soap opera."

His hard gaze softened a bit with amusement. "Seriously? Tell me about it. No one's let me out of this room for forever."

"You've met Catlyn by now, right?" He nodded and I grinned. "She has a crush on KIX, and he really loves Beth--he's chased her down by now to tell her." Fang laughed.

"Let's see how that goes."

"They'll either be all over each other, or will never speak to each other again," I said solemnly, and the brightened. "Oh! You'll never guess what Iggy and Ella did."

His eyes twinkled. "What?"

"They were getting a talk from Jeb and Dr. Martinez. They looked terrified to even touch each other and they were both as red as could be."

"How much do you want to bet that when Jeb and Dr. M found them, Iggy was missing a shirt and his hands were where they shouldn't have been?"

I slapped him lightly. "Sexist-pig."

"According to all you girls I am." He laughed. "But knowing Iggy…"

I nodded. "Knowing Iggy, you're probably right. That boy seriously needs a lesson in morals."

"He needs a spanking," a voice said—Dr. Martinez in the doorway.

"That would work too." I smiled at her sheepishly. "What's up?"

She opened her mouth to speak, frowned, shook her head, and then turned to Fang. "I want to check you over once more before we let you go."

He beamed, and in an un-Fang-like moment punched the air, shouting, "YES! FREEDOM!"

I stared at him. "You know, I think he's still sick, Dr. M."

He glared at me. "If you cost me my freedom Princess I might just have to lock you in a closet somewhere."

I rolled my eyes. "What happened to the tower?"

"You'd fly away."

"What makes you think I wouldn't stick around and wait for my Prince Charming?"

"Because I know you and you're impatient."

"But he's not that slow."

"You're still not that patient."

"Yeah, well—"

"GUYS!" Dr. Martinez looked at us exasperatedly.

"Sorry," we answered at the same time and laughed.

The Third Day

The next morning, I woke up and immediately looked down at my stomach.

There are ups to being a mutant girl. First of all—you can get to know your body pretty well. You knew when a stomach gurgle meant you were going to feel a bit queasy, and when you were going to blow chunks. You knew when the pain behind your eyes was allergies, or a really bad sign. You knew when your stomach went KABOOM! that something was up.

It wasn't a bad KABOOM!; no, it was almost as if a fountain of elation went up through my body, starting in my gut. I felt like something amazing had happened to me. At first, as I groggily pushed away the blankets and stumbled to the bathroom to brush my teeth (morning breath tastes bad), I explained to myself that the happiness as just getting the Love Triangle straightened out. But as I brushed my teeth and began to wake up a bit more, I realized that, while I was happy it was now Trin/Ana and not Trin/Ana/Fang, that wasn't why I was so happy. I tried to figure out the source of my giddiness, but found it unexplainable.

I put a hand on my stomach, where I knew the buzzy, happy-butterflies were coming from, and frowned at the mirror. "OK, body," I told myself. "What's up? The pasta last night wasn't that good."

I stared at myself in the mirror for a good long while. I didn't look sick, and I didn't feel like it either, just…different--but in a really, really good way… Oh. I scowled. "I'm going to kill the guys if they tried to slip Max Valium again."

"They didn't," Angel said sleepily, standing in the doorway, Celeste hanging from her hand. She rubbed her eyes. "What's wrong, Ana?" she asked, seemingly too tired to read my mind for the answer.

"Nothing, sweetie. My stomach's just a bit weird."

Angel paused in her rubbing, and then she blinked. And then she shook her head. And then she spun around and ran downstairs, squealing, "Dr. Martinez, Dr. Martinez! Something's wrong with Ana's stomach!"

I started to follow her but noticed my feet were sticking to the floor and looked down. I groaned. Catlyn had gone even crazier with the duct tape even though I'd told her not to. It was bound to be anywhere and everywhere today. Igs and Ella should have known better than to start that pillow fight during the movie last night...

Dr. Martinez met me on the stairs. She frowned. "Why is there duct tape on the ceiling?"

"You know, I have no idea how Catlyn got up there. She can't even fly." I shrugged. "Anyway, I don't think I'm sick or anything, so don't worry."

"Even so," she said. "I want to see if it's got anything to do with what they did to you three days ago."

I yawned and followed her down the hall. "What're you going to do?"

"Just a few tests. Nothing very special, they might make you a bit uncomfortable though."

I shrugged. "Meh, as long as you don't poke me, or wave needles around or anything."

She smiled. "I figured out not to do that with Max a long time ago, trust me." She held open the door for me. "After you."

I went in and sat down on the bed, pulling my legs up beneath me. "What first, doc?"

"Describe what you feel," she said.

"Well, it's really weird. I woke up, and I just felt like there was this fountain in my stomach, and I felt all tingly. Like, the water—or whatever—that was getting spewed up into my head was hitting something and going splash! down into my arms, and trickling into my fingers."

"And what was this 'water'?"

"Happiness. Complete and utter joy. I felt like I could walk on air."

She turned to where Angel had set herself up in the doorway. "Angel, did the boys--"

"No. They didn't try Valium again. You got onto them too much last time."

Dr. Martinez frowned, and then stuck her head out into the hallway. "Jeb?" she called. He appeared in the doorway across from us. "Could you try to find out what ITEX might have done to Trinity and Ana, for me, please?" He nodded and disappeared again. Dr. M turned to Angel. "Could you go and check on Trinity, wait till he wakes up, and then see if he feels strange?"

Angel nodded and skipped off.

Dr. Martinez rummaged around in her doctor's kit (I guess that's what it was) and then pulled out some notes. Then she looked back inside and pulled out something I recognized.

"HOLY CRAP WOMAN!" I screeched.

Dr. Martinez held up her hands. "Ana, it's perfectly reasonable. We have to look at all the possibilities—"

"A pregnancy test? Are you kidding me?! That's insane! That's just—wrong! So wrong!"

She grabbed my shoulders.

"Does it feel wrong?"

I looked into her eyes, and then wrapped my arms around my stomach. "I dunno, but that can't be right."

She shook her head and held up her notes. "I was talking to Gabriel and Trinity about Trin and Fang's parents. Gabriel said that their mother knew immediately when she was pregnant—she stood up in the middle of lunch and ran around the table, kissing everyone and saying she was the happiest girl in the world. Two days later, they found out she was pregnant. Later, in ITEX, they found out that her body released a chemical when the blastulas were growing, as a sort of pregnancy alarm. I just want to be thorough."

I shook my head, but I took the test she placed in my hands. "Impossible....Impossible...Impossible..."

"Just get it over with," Dr. M said soothingly.

"Don't these things not work early on?" I questioned.

"Elizabeth found out two days after the 'fountain' effect," Dr. M reminded me. "And your body works differently than a regular human's. Just go test."

"Do I have to like…do it in a cup or something?" I mumbled.

"That, or a blood test," the evil lady said.

I groaned, accepted a paper cup, and walked into the bathroom like I was walking to my funeral.

…

I came bursting out, crying, and shouting, "POSITIVE!" in terror for the entire world to hear.

Dr. Martinez rushed out to me and somehow managed to lead me back inside the room with the door almost closed behind us. "Ana…Ana…" I didn't make out much beyond that, I was lost. A baby. I was pregnant. A baby. Oh my GOD…

I didn't respond to anything until the door opened and my head snapped up at the same moment I stopped, holding my breath. I relaxed as soon as I saw it was Jeb—if it was anyone else I would have freaked even more, but…I probably should have freaked anyway. He walked in and smiled at me briefly but went back to look at his clipboard with no look on his face but interest—the kind of face you get when you're faced with a good puzzle. He spoke briefly before we lost him completely to his notes.

"I checked the ITEX boards—it was artificial breeding. They used Trin, he's the father."

I stared, open eyed and opened mouthed at him for a whole two seconds. In two seconds my world fell apart. Again. I screamed and buried myself into Dr. Martinez's shirt. She shouted something but I didn't hear the words. She was angry. At Jeb, I think. Something about tact… I decided that this was probably why Max hated him. He was a perfectly wonderful person and then BAM! Evil.

I froze again when the door slammed open a second time and Trin rushed in.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Jeb had already gotten lost in his own little world again and spoke as if it was nothing, as if he was commenting on the weather, "Ana's pregnant. You're the father."

Silence dropped on the room like a blanket, suffocating me. My shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. Trinity wasn't breathing.

Neither was I.

Fear gripped my heart. You couldn't make that any more dramatic? I thought to Jeb miserably. My arms were locked around my flat stomach, hardly believing that there was a small life hidden in there that wasn't my own. This egg inside my abdomen held a human life. A tiny heart would soon start beating in its chest. Its little hands would begin to develop, and it would pop its thumb into its mouth just like one of the millions of children just a little bit older than it.

I didn't know what I would do if Trinity… If he didn't want me now. If he wanted nothing to do with me, or the baby. But I knew that I would suffer through this alone and see this child brought into the world, no matter what.

"Wha-what?" Trinity's voice was pained and shaking. Nothing answered him except my sniffles and Dr. Martinez's soft hushing as she stroked my hair.

Trinity's footsteps were silent, but I could feel his body heat as he came closer. His hand touched my shoulder and I looked away, a sob ripping out of my chest. "Oh my God," he whispered, and then pulled me into his arms. He rocked me with such tenderness, such a firm hold that it loosened my jaw and made me begin bawling my eyes out. I gripped Trin's hand so hard that I might have cracked a bone or two, and I tried to stop making the heart-wrenching noises, but if I held my breath they tore out of my chest a few moments later. Trinity's face was hidden in my hair, and I couldn't tell if he was crying or not.

Eventually my sobs stopped—I just didn't have them in me anymore. I pulled myself away from Trin. "Crap." I wiped my eyes and was glad that Dr. M had left and made Jeb go with her. "I was so, so happy earlier…"

"I hear mood swings are common," he said gently, and continued rubbing my back.

I sighed, and closed my eyes, leaning into him. His other hand, which was smoothing my sleeve of wrinkles, slipped down my arm, following to where my hand rested on my abdomen. He covered my hand with his, and I could feel him looking down at it. I shivered slightly.

"Oh man. We need to think of names. Godparents. When I have to ask you—holy cow, I have to ask you—holy cow. I need to get my dad."

I opened my eyes and gave him a disbelieving look. He returned it, completely deadpan.

And then Angel led Max, Iggy, Ella, Nudge, Kate, KIX, Beth and Gazzy into the room; all of them wore concern on their faces. I crossed my fingers. Please, God… Let him not come in…

Angel opened her mouth, and that evil little tactless girl said the cursed words:

"Ana's pregnant."

Just as Fang stepped through the door.