Life After High School - Ten Years Later

By Risty and Silver

Disclaimer: The short answer is: No. The long answer is: Nnnooooooooooooooooo.

Summary: You've read this far . . . man.

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(Emma's POV)

The following morning, Wendy came to see me. Lucas had taken Vince and Crystal for a walk and Galia had gone with them. Benny answered the door and led her through to the kitchen where Damon and I were quietly talking. We had already had one phone call from Billee that morning to tell me that Colan was at Rivendell and he wasn't very happy. Things were bad.

"I saw Jaime last night" Wendy said as she sat down. Instantly she realised that it was the wrong thing to say as Benny clenched his fists and I looked down at the table. Damon just grunted something and began looking through the paper. "So you still aren't speaking to her," she said quietly. "In that case…I'm sorry for going to her first. You are more my family than she is, Emma. You aren't mad at me, are you?"

"No not really" I said with a sigh. "But you need to get your head straight and get back to Rivendell soon. Billee and Colan are not too happy with you doing a disappearing act like that."

"I know" Wendy nodded, still looking upset. "And I will go back soon, I just…needed to get away for a while. To think."

"We have all been there at some time or other," I said, trying to reassure her. "What is on your mind? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Jaime is the only one who knows so far" Wendy hung her head and began to cry. "Mum and dad and Blue will kill me when they find out. And I don't know how to tell Colan either. I'm…I'm pregnant, Emma."

I just looked at her, completely shocked. I had known Colan since he was a newborn baby and I had never thought that he would be so foolish and irresponsible. Benny looked shocked too and Damon swallowed his coffee wrong and began to choke. Benny smacked him on the back, muttering something about stupid kids under his breath.

"What are you going to do?" I asked her, when I finally trusted myself enough to speak. "You and Colan can't be parents. Neither of you are responsible enough, neither of you have a proper job. And if you think that your parents are going to be mad, just wait until Billee hears about this. He won't support you and nor will Elrond. If your parents refuse to help, then you two will be forced to cope alone."

"I know" she put her head on the table and cried harder. "I never meant for this to happen Emma, and I don't know what to do."

"Well the first thing you have to do" I said firmly. "Is tell Colan and see how he reacts. If he is the father, which I assume he is, he has a right to know and sooner rather than later. Then you two can decide what to do together." I got up and picked up my riding cloak from the back of my chair. Damon stood up and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Where are you going?" he asked. "This is not your problem. Let them deal with it."

"Damon" I said patiently. "Billee and Colan are like brothers to me and that makes this my problem. Wendy is going to Rivendell and I am going with her to make sure that everything is all right. That fine with you, Wendy?"

"Yes" Wendy got up and wiped her eyes. "Thank you. This means a lot to me, Emma."

"I can see you have made up your mind about this" Damon said with a sigh. "Well in that case, I am coming with you. Benny, can you manage here for a couple of days?"

"Sure thing" Benny agreed. "Don't worry about Kane and Ria, they will both be fine. I'll call if anything happens and Lucas and Galia can help out up here. See you later. And good luck, Wendy, I think you are going to need it."

After kissing the children goodbye and making a quick phone call to let Billee know that we were coming, the three of us got our horses and made our way to Rivendell.

(Colan's POV)

Billee told me that Emma and Damon were bringing Wendy back to Rivendell that afternoon and I was quite relieved. I had been very worried when she had just disappeared, especially with all the trouble the Darkshields had been having lately. I spent most of the day sitting on the balcony waiting for them and in the early afternoon they finally arrived. I hurried down the stairs to meet them. Emma and Damon seemed very pleased to see me, but Wendy stepped out of my embrace and avoided my eyes. I could not work out what was wrong with her and it was beginning to get slightly annoying.

"Elrond, Billee and Legolas are all in the living room," I told Emma and Damon. "They are looking forward to seeing you and said to go right through. You know the way."

They nodded and went off, leaving Wendy and me alone together.

"So" I said immediately, struggling to keep the anger out of my voice. "What's up with you? I hope you realise how worried we have been. And your parents blame me for your disappearance."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and she did sound like it. "I just needed to get away…to think about things. I didn't stop to think how worried everyone would be."

"What did you need to think about?" I asked, half turning away from her. "It must have been serious if you couldn't talk to me, your sister or your parents."

"I…I couldn't talk to any of you because I was afraid of how you would react" she admitted. "Colan…I'm…I'm pregnant."

"You're what?" I turned and looked at her, completely amazed. "But that…it isn't possible."

"Isn't it?" she laughed bitterly. "Well it appears that it is possible. I'm two months pregnant, Colan, and whether you believe it or not we have to decide what we are going to do."

"I…I don't see how we could possibly have a baby at this point in our lives, Wendy" I shook my head, still trying to get my head around it. It didn't seem real. "I think we have better tell my dad and brother," I said with a sigh. "And see what they have to say."

I expected Billee to go mad, but not that mad. Elrond, Legolas, Emma and Damon just sat there with their heads down as my brother went on and on about how I'd really let him down, how he thought that he and Elrond had brought me up to have more sense and how disappointed he was in me. I was really ashamed of myself, but he didn't finish there. He started asking how we would cope with a baby and pointing out that we were far too young to cope with something like that. Then he dropped his final bombshell.

"Colan, no matter what you have done and choose to do now, we will always love you," he said quietly, glancing over at Legolas and Elrond. "But if you chose to go ahead and have this baby, you will do it alone. Don't expect any support, financial or emotional from any of us, because we will not aid you in throwing your life away."

"I…I understand" I managed to say. "I am really sorry for all this." I turned and ran out the room.

Wendy followed me outside and tried to put her hand on my shoulder, but I shook her off. Never in my life had Billee ever said he was ashamed of me and I hated the fact that I had let him down. Wendy was saying something about how everything would be all right, but how could it be? How could anything ever be all right again? Slowly I turned to her.

"Wendy" I said as quietly as I could. "I don't want this child. I want you to get rid of it."

"But Colan…" she sounded upset and I couldn't really blame her. "We have to think about this. I don't particularly want this child either, but…"

"I am not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do" I shrugged and turned away. "But if you chose to have the baby, you had better be prepared for life as a single mother. It's the baby or me, Wendy."

I turned and went back inside, my head down. I wasn't upset about what I had just said, I loved Wendy but I was not ready to be a father. All I had to do was to see if she loved me enough to do as I wanted…