Chapter Nineteen

Warren waited until he got off work and everyone had left the studio at channel 6. Only Suzi remained as she was finishing up her paperwork for the day in Stephanie Wyatt's office. Warren knew his way around the studio well. He watched to see that everyone who worked at the station had left in their vehicles, then he stepped out of his BMW-MI and strode inside the building.

He made his way through the maze of offices inside. Then when Suzi least expected it, he burst into Stephanie's office where Suzi worked as Stephanie's assistant and cornered her so she could not leave the room. "Okay, Suzi, I know you're pregnant," he said in a low and menacing tone. "I know McCleary's claiming the kid is his, but I am not buying that story for a minute. There is no way you'd jump in the sack with him just minutes after sleeping with me and finding out I had an affair with Wendy. You're just too good to do something such as that! I also know you very seldom lie, so are you going to stand there and lie to me or tell me the damn truth?! THE BABY'S MINE!"

Suzi looked terrified. Warren was pissed. His fury was at an all-time high. She'd never seen him that angry before.

"Warren, no-!" she said, trying to move around him and escape the room, but Warren had blocked the door.

"You're not leaving here!" he bellowed. "Not until you tell me the truth! So say it, Suzi. Tell me the baby is MINE!"

"SAY IT!" Warren screamed, nearly causing Suzi to jump out of her skin. She was truly afraid of him and what he was capable of in that moment. She couldn't dare lie.

The truth just came tumbling out. "The baby's yours, Warren!"

Warren stood there, staring back at Suzi, completely stunned. Although he knew it in his heart, hearing her say it - that made it real.

"I knew it," he said.

"It doesn't matter, Warren. It may be yours, but you will never see my child. Cagney and I - we're going to raise the baby. We are... and there's- there's nothing you can do about it."

"We'll see about that," Warren hissed through his teeth. He then turned around and left, before he did something he would regret.

Pure anger seethed through him. He wanted to punch something. He was as mad as hell, but more than anything, he was angry at himself. What the fuck had he done?! What was this going to do to Wendy when she found out?!

He drove around aimlessly for about an hour, knowing Wendy was probably worried about him not returning from work, but he couldn't go home. Not now.

He ended up at Kristin and Brian's. They were surprised to see him standing at the door. "What do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" Brian asked sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Warren snarled. "I am not in the mood for games!"

Brian stepped aside and Warren entered. Kristin approached, concerned about the expression on her brother's face. He looked furious, but there was more. It scared her.

"Warren, what is it? What's wrong?" she asked.

"I've fucked up everything!" Warren cried out, not even caring if Brian heard.

"What do you mean? What did you fuck up? Is something wrong with my sister?" Brian asked with a dark frown.

Warren was trembling. Kristin wrapped her arms around him and held him. For a minute, she thought her brother was going to cry like he did the night Wendy had that awful wreck. She thought she was going to see him crumble at her feet, but Warren did not weep.

"I- I don't know what do, Kris," he said with sadness. "I don't know what to do."

"Why don't we all go sit down in the living room and talk about this," Kristin suggested as she pulled back from Warren's embrace and took both of his hands in hers. "Brian and I - we can try to help."

"There's nothing that can help me now," Warren lamented.

Brian and Kristin looked at each other in deep concern as Kristin lead Warren over to the living room. The three of them sat down on the comfortable furniture. "Tell us what happened," Kristin urged. "Is Wendy okay?"

Warren nodded. "Yeah, she is... for now."

"What's that mean? For now?!" Brian demanded.

"Brian, please, just let Warren explain," Kristin said.

"Suzi's pregnant," Warren revealed. "The baby's mine. On the night of Wendy's car accident, Suzi and I ... reunited... and that night, she got pregnant. Suzi's having my baby. I don't - I don't know what to do."

"You're an idiot. You have two women pregnant," Brian said with disgust.

"Don't you think I don't know that!? That I haven't thought of that?! Dammit! I love Wendy!" Warren exploded.

Kristin held her brother's hand. "Both of you need to calm down. We can't work through this if you're both yelling and cussing," she said. "Are you sure, Warren, that the baby's yours?"

"She admitted it."

"This is shit!" Brian said. "This is going to kill Wendy. Her doctor said no stress. She's been in and out of the hospital repeatedly-."

"Do you think I don't know that, too?!" Warren exclaimed. "I do! And I don't want anything to happen to her OR our baby!"

"I agree with Brian," Kristin said. "Wendy can't handle this... not right now. She's already been through far too much."

"Because of me," Warren said with self-loathing.

"Warren, you didn't know that night that Wendy would have a wreck and you also didn't know that Suzi would end up pregnant," said Kristin. "But the fact is that she is... and you're the father. You're responsible. You have two babies on the way."

"Suzi said she wants to raise our baby with Cagney McCleary," Warren said.

"Then let her!" Brian cried out. "You can't tell Wendy any of this. It will break her. She was in the hospital, fighting for her life and the life of YOUR child and at that moment, you were with Suzi, making another baby! I know my sister! She's going to lose it when you tell her and with that kind of stress, she'll probably go into premature labor!"

"I agree with Brian, Warren. You can't tell Wendy. At least not until the baby is born," said Kristin.

"So I lie to my wife?"

"Why not? Haven't you lied to her plenty of times before?!" Brian spouted off.

"Brian, stop. You're not helping," Kristin scolded.

"Warren, I'm afraid the stress and shock will cause Wendy further pregnancy complications. You have to do what is best for her and the baby," Kristin said gently.

Warren was agonizing over the situation. He loved Wendy so much and didn't want to hurt her, but not telling her would later come as a huge betrayal. Wendy could end up hating him. It was bad enough that Suzi's unborn child was conceived on the night of Wendy's nearly fatal accident, but not being able to be straight with Wendy about the matter would probably lead to even further destruction.

"I guess it's best if everyone in Henderson thinks that Cagney's the father of Suzi's child," Warren said as he was backed up against a wall and all out of options. "I have to deny one child to protect the other."

"Bottom line - Wendy's your wife... and she has struggled for months to maintain this pregnancy. You have to do what's best for her," Brian said. "After the baby's born, then you can deal with all of your screw-ups."

Warren winced. He didn't even shoot Brian a glare. His pain was too intense. He just wanted to leave. He felt like the scum of the earth and unworthy of Wendy and her deep, abiding love. He knew she was going to be devastated when the truth was revealed. He also knew he had to lie to protect her and his child - the one thing he had promised her he would not do.

Warren stood up. "I gotta go," he said.

After Warren left, Kristin cried for her brother. "Ohhh Brian, this is just awful. What's going to happen to Warren and Wendy? When she finds out, she might throw Warren out."

"He probably deserves that... but she loves him. She'll forgive him."

"But she might not. This could destroy their marriage. If Warren loses Wendy, he may go off the deep end. I am worried for both of them."

"I just hope that no one tips off Wendy before she has the baby. It could be detrimental if she found out somehow and went into labor too soon."

"I don't know how Warren's going to live with himself. He's so tormented."

"Good. He deserves to suffer. The pain he's going to cause my sister when he tells her is going to be astronomical. He's the one who knocked up another woman while Wendy fought for her life and the life of their child. He's the one who will have to pay for everything that he's done."

"Brian, you do realize that you and I have been put in the middle of this mess? When Wendy does discover the truth, all hell will break loose. She might blame us, too."

Brian let out a heavy sigh. "There's nothing we can do. We all have to protect Wendy. She can't lose the baby."

Xxxooo

Suzi was shaken when she arrived back home. Aunt Jo walked out of the kitchen and saw her niece crying. "What's wrong, dear?" Jo asked as she rushed over to comfort her niece.

"I- I- it was Warren..." Suzi sobbed.

"Did he do something? Suzi, did he hurt you?"

Suzi shook her head. "Aunt Jo, I have to tell you something," Suzi said. "I- I'm going to have a baby."

"A baby?" Jo said in surprise. "Ohhh Suzi, it's Warren's, isn't it?"

Suzi tearfully nodded. "It's his, but he will never raise this child. This is my baby! MINE!"

Aunt Jo wrapped her arms around Suzi as she cried. "Honey, it's going to be alright."

Suzi was shaking from head to toe. "No one can know this baby is Warren's," Suzi insisted.

"Whatever you do, you can't tell Stephanie," said Jo. "She's going to explode when she realizes."

"Yes, Stephanie definitely cannot know. Aunt Jo, no matter what happens, I am going to raise this baby... and Cagney's going to help me."

"Cagney McCleary?" Jo said in surprise.

"He wants to be the baby's daddy. He's a good man, so much better than Warren. My baby will grow up in a happy home ... with two loving parents. Cagney will be my baby's REAL father, not Warren Carter."

Xxxooo

Wendy was beside herself with worry when Warren was over two hours late coming home from work. After he said he was robbed in an alley the other day and came home beaten and bruised, she was afraid for his life. When he came through the door, she nearly pounced on him. "I was so worried," she said as she wrapped him up tightly in her arms.

Warren took a step back from her, looking wounded and forlorn. As he gazed at her sweet face, he felt awful. He knew he was slime because he had to keep such a huge secret from her. He was trying to deal with it the best he could as he reassured himself over and over again that he was doing what was best for her and their baby.

"Warren, what's wrong?" Wendy asked in concern. He looked like he had just lost his dearest friend.

The weight was heavy burden upon Warren's shoulders. He felt like he could collapse at any moment. He sunk down on the couch, sighing deeply.

"Something's wrong," Wendy said knowingly as she rushed to his side and softly caressed his cheek. "Talk to me, Warren. What's going on?"

"Nothing's wrong. I am just tired from work."

She knew then and there that he wasn't being honest with her, just like the other night when he came home with a bleeding lip and other abrasions. He had lied then, too - but why? WHY was Warren lying to her? He swore he never would! He SWORE!

"Something is to wrong, Warren Carter. You can't lie to me!" Wendy said fiercely as she held his face and forced him to meet her gaze. "Now are you going to be honest with me and tell me what it is?"

"Honey, everything is okay," Warren said in a calming voice as he pulled her into his embrace and caressed her hair. "Everything's fine."

"But you seem..."

"I'm am just tired. I had a crummy day. But I feel better now. I am here with you... and you smell so good."

He placed soft, gentle kisses on her neck, trying to distract her. She let out a little moan, so he knew it was working. As his lips moved over her silky skin, she eventually began to calm. Warren, however, was not at peace. His heart was beating with incredible pain.

When her fingers slid into his shirt to caress his muscles, he immediately tensed. She pulled back and gave him a 'what in the hell is the matter with you?' look.

"I think I know exactly what's wrong," she said with sadness. "It's me. You don't want me anymore. I am getting fat - as big as a house - and I- I disgust you."

"What?!" Warren gasped.

"You're not happy with our sex life because my stomach has gotten so big!" she said as tears filled up her eyes.

"No, sweetheart. No. I do want you... Don't even think that," he said as he tenderly wiped away her tears. "I love you and I will always want you. Besides, we can think of creative positions now. We don't have to stop making love."

"What kind of creative positions?" she asked with a little smirk.

"Why don't we go into the bedroom and I'll show you."

Making love to Wendy was the exact kind of distraction he needed to take his mind off the brutal pain and the tangled mess that was now his life. He could get lost in her and their love and forget all about it ... at least for a little while. After the loving, he'd have to face reality. How could he look into Wendy's eyes day after day knowing he wasn't telling her the truth? He didn't want to think of losing her. He didn't want to think of the consequences of his actions, so for now, he'd just enjoy every minute he could with her. When she did learn the truth, he might lose her forever. He couldn't let that happen. He swore he'd do whatever was necessary to keep Wendy by his side. No matter what it cost him, he was going to keep Wendy.