I know I haven't updated in a while, but in my defense, I didn't feel like it.

Chapter 5: The Boyfriend Dillema

"I'm tired. I need to go to bed," confessed Doria.

Mort nodded in understanding, though this only solidified the new information. He watched the door close violently behind her with a serene expression, and slammed his fist into the workbench causing its contents to jump.

"It wasn't easy for her to tell you, you know," said Mystique.

He knocked a can of tire sealent off the table. "I'm THIRTY-TWO, Mystique! THIRTY-FUCKIN'-TWO! I can't be a grandfather!"

She stared at him impatiently. "You also said that you were too young to be a father at twenty-one, and look how well you two turned out!" He glowered at her with all the spite he could muster. "Okay, bad wording, but there's no need to freak out. C'mon, it'll be nice to have another little one around! Wanda'll go crazy for him... her... whatever."

He sighed. "Ah, this is prolly all my fault, yeh know. Those shrinks tha' do the studies with the kids that ge' knocked up, they always say it's the parent's fault."

She leaned onto the table. "What do the shrinks know? They say that all of us mutants are the way we are because our parents weren't in love when we were concieved."

He snorted. He'd read that study too. "I'm gonna find the guy, yeh know."

"Yeah, Mort, I know."

l-l-l-

Doria walked down the hall silently. A baby. She was sixteen! She couldn't be a mother! More importantly, what would she tell the other Brotherhood members? What would she tell Alex? She stopped in realization. She was pregnant. She couldn't have a boyfriend! Could she? Was that allowed? Now she was confused.

She approached the cafeteria where the smell of tacos was so strong she thought she was going to puke. It filled her nose with a bitter, horrible sensation, so much that she ran to her room. She slammed the door hard, and collapsed onto her bed. What was that all about? She was exhausted. She'd tell Alex when she woke up.

l-l-l-

The young mutant sat up about an hour later, and headed for the bathroom. She was beginning to not like this whole pregnant thing. Doria took a deep breath, smoothed down her shirt, and walked out the door. She had to tell him sometime. Might as well be now.

She knocked tentatively on his door. "Alex?"

He opened the door a few seconds later. "Hey, Dor. What's up?"

"I... need to tell you... something. Can I come in?" He nodded, and closed the door behind her. She sat down on his bed, and stared at her feet solemnly.

Alex reached across the room to flick on another lamp. He looked concerned. "What's going on?"

Doria put on a brave face. "You remember that night I was out drinking? The one I got grounded for?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Your dad isn't still flipping over that, is he?"

The young mother shook her jade-streaked hair, struck by how silly that whole issue had been. "I don't know what I did that night. I don't remember anything after the first few shots," she started.

"You've already told me that."

"I... I got..." she started breathing heavily, "Alex, I'm pregnant," she whispered.

"What?" He stood up off the bed, looking down at her.

She stood up. "Pregnant! Me! I have a baby!"

"No... Can't you take care of it? You're not going to have it, are you?" He was incredulous.

"I can't! Mystique said that it's too risky with mutant fetuses. I'm going to have a baby. That's all there is to it. I can't have a boyfriend, then. I just can't. It's not right to stick you with a child. You're only seventeen."

"You're only sixteen! You can't do this alone!"

"I'm not doing it alone! I have my dad! I have Mystique! I have the entire Brotherhood. That's what I love about this place. You're never alone." She smiled at him.

"I can't leave you like this. You need support." He moved towards her.

"I have all the support I need. Don't feel guilted into it. I understand if you don't want to do this." She turned to the door.

Doria felt his arms wrap around her, his hands were resting on her abdomen gently. "I want to do this more than ever. I care about you, Dor. I would never leave you over something as beautiful as a child," he whispered into her ear. He stretched his neck a little so that he could kiss her lightly. She turned into his embrace, relief washing over her as she pressed her mouth deeper into his. They backed up until the backs of his knees hit the bed. He pulled away and looked at her questioningly.

"I can't get any more pregnant, can I?" She pressed her lips back onto his, and he laughed into her mouth. His arm extended down to slip off her shoes. She giggled. "Let's see how well that mutation of yours works," she whispered.

l-l-l-

Mort and Mystique sat in his room, playing checkers. "Where's Doria?" asked the blue woman.

"Dunno. Not in 'er room. Maybe she's on 'er wall, thinkin' things over. I's gotta be a tough time for 'er."

"Yeah. It'll be a wonder if she ever trusts another man. It'll be a miracle if she ever feels comfortable having sex again." She watched Mort flinch with a supressed chuckle.

"Good. I 'ope she doesn' ever again. She shouldn'." He looked angry.

"Well now, yeah, but when she's thirty? Fourty? She could have severe psychological damage."

"Yeh, yeh've said the same abou' me fer years, an' I've go' on jus' fine."

"Just fine? Mort, you haven't had sex since you were sixteen. Being raped does that to people."

He glared at her. "No, bein' a disgusting slimey creature with a defective image inducer does tha' ta people. 'as nothin' ta do with bein' raped. I 'ad sex afterwards. Tha'd be why my darlin' daughter's 'ere. Don' say stuff like tha' like ya know everythin', Rae, 'cause ya don'."

She'd expected as much. "There are plenty of nice mutant girls you could have. What about Wanda?"

"Shuddup. No one wan's ta be with a toad, an' you know i'. Wanda's go' i' fer tha' stupid Cajun." He hit his piece onto the board violently. "King me."

She placed a piece on top of the black plastic chip, and sighed. "I can see I'm not going to win this one."

"Nope. I go' you cornered."

Snigger It's funny 'cause they're so naive about Doria. Did you like it? You hated it, didn't you? I'll assume you hated it unless you review! If you DID hate it, REVIEW ANYWAYS!