So the doctor drops EPIC bombshell about how the tiny invader might not be human and then discharged me. Billy, very solicitous of my every need, even if being close to me meant that his face was steamed, looked thunderous when he thought I didn't notice. I thought about Becca, about what Homelander had done to her, and I shut my eyes tight.

"Ronnie?" I nodded, letting him know I was listening as I sat in his car while he drove us home. "Sweetheart, what are you thinking about?" I shook my head, eyes still closed tight. "Whatever it is, you stopped steaming." Shit.

"Becca." I muttered, and it felt like the world stopped turning. "I was thinking about Becca and how pissed you look when you think I'm not looking and I can swear this much, Billy, it didn't happen to me." I didn't think I needed to elaborate what 'it' was in this scenario. "I haven't been alone with a single supe, not one, and definitely not a male one."

"Veronica, honey," I kept my eyes shut, seeing him might mean we'd have to open windows to keep the windshield view clear, like we'd had to do that morning. "I never-" I heard him swallow. "One of them did this, Ronnie, maybe not the same way with Becca, but they violated you all the same."

"I know," I felt a tear run down my cheek, feeling completely freaked out on multiple levels. Pregnant when I was so damn careful to not become pregnant. Pregnant with the complication that thinking about touching the man I love came with a horrible side effect of causing my skin to literally steam. And most of all, pregnant by an unknown source, against my consent and forced to wait to find out by which one. Or did I? "Billy?" I heard him murmur that he heard me. "Take me to the office."

"Ronnie, I think work can wait-"

"Billy, take me to the office, NOW." I opened my eyes and was happy to see that being occupied with a purpose other than sex kept the steam at bay. "I know how to find out who's bun is inside of me."

He hooked a u-turn and powered back toward the city and our office. "How?" His eyes stayed on the road, but he was intent on listening to my idea.

"Remember how I found out about Stillwell's son?" He nodded and I went on. "I have access to that database. Homelander knows I know that they keep track of the genetic material of supes, but he doesn't know where." And I had a feeling he wanted us to know who's makeup was currently circulating in my womb. "Even if he does-"

"He wants us to know." He bit out, figuring it out as easily as I did, once the angst of the news lessened. "That fucker."

"We have to be smart about this, Billy." I needed him to understand. Knowing that I was impregnated by Homelander, or another supe via some other window wouldn't do much. "The argument could always be that I wanted to be artificially inseminated, like Stillwell." He growled. "Once we know how, then we work through what to do."

"You gonna keep it?" Ah, the million dollar question, wasn't it? Would I choose a supe baby or Billy?

"It isn't mine." I answered, ignoring the fact that some of the mix was mine, but I hadn't asked for it, in fact I didn't want a baby. Not yet. If ever.

"You don't have to-" I took his hand and he glanced at me as he drove on.

"I know, Billy, but the fact that you want it to be MY choice, that tells me more about you and why I love you." I kept his hand in mine as we made our way to the office. "This person didn't ask me, Billy, they took away my choice, different from what happened with Becca," his fingers tightened around mine. "But they still took it from me and tried to force this on me. Once we know, and we figure out what the path forward is, I don't plan on being held hostage for a choice I didn't make." And with that, Billy realized the difference between Becca and me. I had to wonder if he'd appreciate it or if it would be our undoing.

Luckily Billy had his fob on him, because mine was still at the house. Inside the office, I logged onto the database that I was granted access to for supe affairs. Billy took his chair and pulled it close to me, so we could click through together.

"The last three 'withdraws' so to speak were of," my fingers highlighted the three lines of data. "Now, we click on each and it will tell us where the samples went to, who requested them, and where they were utilized." The first was from A-Train and went to testing, the second was from Translucent and went to the mother of his son. That raised a few questions, but I left them. The last was a Homelander sample, but I nearly screamed at the name that supposedly requested it. Mine. And it was sent to my clinic where I had my exam. And the doctor that was conveniently there to replace mine signed off. "FUCK."

"Calm down, Ronnie, there's this." He pointed at the doctor's name. "Didn't you say your doctor was called out for a family emergency?" I nodded. "Then how did the doc there sign off on the sample a week earlier. That seems kind of suspect don't you think?" I'd missed it, but he was right. The doctor had confirmed and agreed to taking possession a week prior to my appointment.

"I'll have to request proof that my doctor was called away and why, if she even was." I wondered. "Give me a moment." I saved what we'd found and then clicked over to the clinic that I usually went to. A few clicks, a thankful prayer that I'd been given top clearance at the agency, and I was in. Clicking through the doctor logs for that day, I smiled. "See this?" I pointed at a folder of files for the day under my doctor's heading. "That's proof that my doctor was there, and that I was given an unknown doctor, now a little deeper." I did a search for the doctor who aided Homelander in this newest despicable act. "He doesn't actually work at this clinic," Billy's eyes were scanning as I worked. "That means that either I asked specifically for him, or he was there with the aid of some helpers."

"Let's leave the rest for morning," Billy insisted, tapping the laptop off and grabbing the usb stick I'd saved everything we'd found on. "You've had a long day, Ronnie, and you need sleep."

I didn't argue, I was tired. Bone tired. So tired that I fell asleep in the car as he drove us to the house. I woke up as he carried me into the bedroom and laid me on the bed. "Aren't you coming to bed?" I asked, as he stepped away.

"Course," he smiled down at me, tugging off his boots and pants. "Just didn't dress for a sick day, Ronnie, so I thought I'd get comfortable first." Seeing him unbuttoning his shirt woke me all the way up, and then the steam started rising. "Veronica," I bit my lip and nodded. "Think even your sick day clothes might be a bit uncomfortable, don't you?"

I might have ripped a few pieces of my clothes as I tore them off, but then he was over top of me, and I couldn't care about anything but Billy. Not the steam, not the tiny alien inside of me, not tomorrow or the day after, only him. And me. And as our bodies joined together, I knew I made the right choice. Billy Butcher over an unknown being? Not even close.