Hi! This was a plot bunny I got after binge watching Titans while being trapped in my apartment due to the coronavirus.
I know this is going to be controversial and some people are not going to enjoy it. So if you're against abortion completely, just don't read this.
Choices
It was the odd feeling that she was missing something that Rachel noticed first. Though, she couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what the thing she was missing was.
She spent days going through all the homework assignments and midterm prep work she had to see if she had missed any schoolwork. Then she started checking on her training schedule set by both the Amazons and by Dick. But if she had missed any of that then someone would be kicking her butt.
"What about that journal thing? Weren't you supposed to have that run by Dick or Donna before submitting it to your psych class?" Garfield asked from his place on the floor next to his bed, which Rachel was lounging on.
"I gave it to Dawn to look at, Donna had a show to prepare for and Dick has a high case load, didn't want to bother either of them and I'm sure Kory would have just said it was fine without editing any of it," Rachel replied from her place on Garfield's unmade bed.
"Well, just give it a few more days, I'm sure you'll figure it out," Garfield said, his focus once again returning to the first-person shooter game he was playing.
Rachel couldn't help the scoff that escaped her lips, or the smile. He seemed to carefree most of the time, despite all the horror that he had endured. It brought a lovely tingliness to her stomach that always made her a little giddy.
Luckily, since Garfield had been developing his powers as well as she had, he was able to sense her tingliness before she said anything. His head shooting up and looking around at her as if he was asking for confirmation of what he already knew.
Within an instant, Garfield had paused the game and was up on the bed lying next to Rachel. His hands lightly tracing the curve of her face. Their legs were entwined together, and they were chest to chest, their faces almost touching.
Unfortunately, that was when Jason decided to burst into the room, having gotten Conner to push open the door and break the lock. The poor man-child looked bewildered as to why Garfield and Rachel were so angry and embarrassed while Jason just started loudly singing a song that sounded like it belonged in a porno.
The commotion, of course, brought the unwanted attention of Dick who came storming out of his office in a bad mood. The mood then got worse as Conner innocently explained what he had seen. All Titans were then called to a house meeting where Dick explained the new open-door policy that was going to be enacted. Everyone was expected to comply lest they have their doors removed.
There was also to be a separation of genders in the tower. A boy's wing and a girl's wing, with there being strict rules about not having someone of the opposite sex in their room. this set off every Titan, as they thought it was a complete overreaction to some simple teenage making out.
To make matters worse, everyone under the age of eighteen was then forced to sit through a two-hour long lecture from Dick about the appropriate behaviour for teenagers. And making out in a locked room was not deemed appropriate.
"Oh, come on, you two had it coming," Kory joked as she watched Garfield cooked a vegan friendly dinner. Whenever he was on kitchen duty, he would always make the meals vegan to the complaints of everyone else in the tower.
"It's not like we're going at it at every available opportunity like others in this tower!" Rachel complained from her perch next to the kitchen island where she could snack on cut veggies.
"Yeah, but he still sees you as the little girl who needed his help and that is never going to change," Kory replied, also snacking on the cut veggies that were supposed to be going into the vegetable stir-fry. Much to the annoyance of Garfield, who had spent a long time chopping those vegetables to make sure there was enough for everyone.
The annoyed look of both the young Titans was enough to make Kory burst out laughing. It was common knowledge that Dick treated Rachel like the little sister he never had and was very protective of her. Even with Garfield.
That was why, when Garfield and Rachel actually got together, they had been terrified of Dick finding out. Both decided that the best course of action was to let Kory know first so that she could calmly and smoothly lay down the groundwork of letting Dick know. Or act as a super-strong mediator in case Dick tried to kill Garfield.
It would have worked out better if Jason hadn't had found out first and announce it over dinner. It almost looked like Garfield had transformed into a deer, the trapped in the headlights look was so on point. Dick's impersonation of a statue was so exact that no one saw even a muscle twitch.
Before he launched himself across the table to tackle Garfield. The younger man though had shifted into a cheetah, the first time he had shifted that quickly into an animal that he had never shifted into before. Taking off from the dining room while Kory and Donna tried to calm Dick down while Hank and Dawn berated Jason for his tactless Ness and Rachel and Conner went in search of a terrified Garfield.
Garfield was extremely wary of Dick for the next few weeks, trying to avoid him whenever he could. If only they didn't have combat practice every day with Dick as the instructor. And, he would always ask for Garfield to help with the demonstrations.
It was months before it calmed down and Dick and Garfield were able to be in the same room without Dick giving him a homicidal glare. It was only through Kory and Donna reminding Dick that Rachel AND Garfield were his responsibility that calmed him down.
That was why whenever either Garfield or Rachel needed to talk about their relationship or get advice, they went straight to Kory. As they knew that she would have their back if whatever they were saying got out and back to Dick.
The next thing Rachel began to notice was how she began to physically feel. It was not just an overwhelming sense of being tired, but she was a little bit nauseous at all times.
It first started with breakfast. It was Hank's turn to cook so that, of course, meant a meat-tastic extravaganza. He had several types of sausage, blood pudding, bacon and ham. The whole communal area smelled of cooking meat that was enough to make everyone's mouths water, except their resident vegan.
But, as soon as Rachel smelled the cooking meat she gagged. She had to run to the shared bathroom and almost emptied her empty stomach into the toilet.
"Hey Rach, you okay?" Garfield asked, poking his neon green head into the bathroom.
"I'm fine, just, sick I guess," Rachel replied, standing up so that she could brush her teeth.
"Anything I can do?"
"Nah, it's okay, Gar. But, um, how about we go to the coffee shop and get something, I don't think I can sit in there with that meat smell," Rachel replied, to which Garfield enthusiastically agreed. He had been hoping that Rachel would like to get breakfast anywhere else other than Hank's meat filled kitchen. The overpowering smell of cooking meat made him feel like gagging as well.
The tiredness was a whole different kettle of fish. It was definitely something you could not be when living the superhero life. You had to be ready and raring to go at a moment's notice, as well as putting in all the extra time needed to maintain the peak level of physical fitness so that you don't die on the job.
Their combat training was shared between Dick, Donna and Kory. And each expected the younger members of the Titans to always give their all. So, when Rachel got taken down several times within one training session Dick was concerned.
"She's probably tired from studying," Donna said rationally.
Since they had settled at the tower Dick had used his connections, better known as Bruce Wayne, to get guardianship of both Rachel and Garfield, since they were still both under eighteen. And, as a responsible guardian, he had enrolled both in a very prestigious private school.
There had been a few issues at the start of this arrangement. As Garfield had always been home-schooled so had no transcript. And Rachel had been out of public school for almost a year. This meant both had to restart their year, so were older than everyone else in their class.
There was also an issue with the dress code. As it was a private school there was a strict uniform, with shirts, ties and blazers. And, a rule against dyed hair which caused a huge problem right at the start. No one believed that either Garfield's neon green or Rachel's lilac locks were natural. It was only a substantial donation from the Wayne foundation that allowed both Rachel and Garfield to keep their natural hair colours.
And another donation allowed Rachel's gemstone.
Due to the many issues with Garfield's and Rachel's appearance, and some sudden and unexplained absences, it meant that they both had to be on their best behaviour at school. And achieve a really high level of scholastic excellence. Which meant long nights studying while superheroing. And lots of last-minute work on assignments.
So, when the school called and said that Rachel had fallen asleep during two of her classes that week, Dick was quite concerned. He talked about his concerns with Kory, as he didn't want to accidentally say the wrong thing to a hormonal teenage girl whose emotions drive her demonic powers.
Luckily, Kory was also concerned. She had noticed these changes with Rachel recently as well and was trying to figure out how to broach the subject with her. Her best idea was to take Rachel to get coffee and to chat it out away from all prying ears.
She had a feeling she knew what the problem was, and definitely did not want anyone else to hear her theory. Especially not Dick, as he was almost homicidal when Gar and Rachel were kissing, he would go almost apocalyptic if he found out that they were sleeping together as well.
The next morning Kory took Rachel to a very upmarket coffee shop on Fishermen's Wharf, far enough away from the tower that she didn't expect to run into anyone else. It was the same place they went to when Rachel has admitted that she wanted to have a more physical relationship with Gar and asked for advice.
"So, I suppose you know why we're here?" Kory asked when their fancy coffees were served.
"Not really sure," Rachel replied, trying to act innocent. Though, the act didn't quite work as well on Kory as it did on Dick.
"Rachel," Kory implored softly.
"Okay, so I've been tired recently. Had a lot to do, and the training that Dick is making us do isn't helping," Rachel replied nonchalantly, picking at her muffin.
"And the nausea? Please Rachel just answer me this, when you and Gar had sex, you were careful, right?"
"Of course!" Rachel angrily whispered, looking around to see if anyone had overheard.
That had been a really embarrassing trip to the store for Rachel. She had decided, after several frustrating conversations with Gar, to take matters into her own hands. So, she had gone to the local Walgreens and had been truly confused by the vast array of condoms on display.
And that was when Rose had decided to make her presence known. The silver haired former assassin gave her opinion on what size she figured Gar would be, as well as some of the different types.
"They're ribbed for your pleasure, after all I doubt a nerdy little virgin like him would be very good at hitting the right spots. But I guess, he is part tiger," Rose had said causing Rachel to turn the exact same shade of red as the gem in her forehead.
She was about to turn around and tell Rose off, when the other girl suddenly burst out in laughter. She pointed to just behind Rachel, who turned and saw Garfield standing next to the display of condoms. Apparently, he did manage to make out most of the frustrating hints that she had dropped.
Both Garfield and Rachel just stood like statues in the aisle, until Rose took pity on them. She picked up one of the boxes, a pack of twenty and thrust them into Gar's chest.
"Won't need to go out again for a while, probably not gonna make your way through those for a while. Oh, and don't worry, you're secrets safe," Rose said as she sauntered off leaving an embarrassed pair of teen lovers in her wake.
After the store Rachel had approached Rose about what she saw, trying to scramble for a reason as to why she was picking out condoms. But Rose wasn't having any bullshit, stopping Rachel before she tripped herself up too much. She merely told her teammate that if she needed anyone to talk to, more her age, that she could come to her.
It was a nice moment, only ruined when Rose asked for details about Garfield's dick. And if he truly gets animalistic. The bright red blush that covered Rachel's face was enough of an answer for her, so she left that room with a smirk on her face.
"Okay, that's good. No that is really good. But, do you think there might be a chance that you could be, you know, pregnant? I mean, when was your last period?" Kory asked delicately.
Rachel was about to rebut her older sister figure, to tell her that she was completely off the mark, when she finally figured out the thing that she had forgotten all those weeks ago. It was her period, which she was now several weeks late for.
"Oh, dear god," Rachel quietly exclaimed, starting to hyperventilate and causing the silverware on the table to shake.
"Rachel, Rachel, look at me, you need to calm down and get control," Kory said soothingly, reaching across to take the younger woman's' hands.
"We, we were careful. We used condoms. We, we've only done it, like, four times," Rachel explained, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hey, hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's find out if you are or not and then we can go from there, okay?" Kory said reassuringly.
Rachel just nodded. She didn't want to think too much, her life was suddenly flashing before her eyes. She did not expect to be in this situation at sixteen.
Rachel was beginning to hate Walgreens. There was too much choice. Why couldn't they just have one aisle with only one option for each product and the aisle should be called 'these are the things you need'?
"So, what about this one? It has a digital display? It actually says 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant'," Kory asked picking up the box marked Clear Blue.
"Yeah, cause if I'm too stupid to work a condom, I'm obviously too stupid to know what a plus or minus is," Rachel said sarcastically.
"You're pregnant?" Rose's voice came suddenly from the end of the aisle.
It was a rather comical sight, three heroes in the sexual health aisle, all still as statues and starting each other down. Each one waiting for the other to make the first move while holding their own breath.
Rose broke the Mexican standoff first, charging forward and thrusting one of the boxes into Rachel's hand.
"It's First Response, I had a very comforting experience with First Response. And there's two in the box, so you can test twice just to be sure. Or, in case you need it for another time. It's good value for money," Rose babbled uncomfortably, while nodding her head and agreeing with her own words.
Then, most unexpectedly, Rose threw her arms around Rachel. The other girl momentarily stunned before she hugged Rose back and finally let the tears loose. She didn't know how long she stayed liked that, in the middle of the sexual health aisle getting hugged by a former assassin turned masked vigilante heroine, but it was finally calming her down.
All the while Rose just held on and told her everything would be alright, and that she was going to be there for her. Her hands running soothing circles over her back. Neither girl noticed that Kory had gone to pay for the pregnancy tests and had actually come back.
Clearing her throat, Kory managed to get the two girls to break apart from their hug. Then she managed to herd them both into her SUV and take them back to the tower. Rachel stuffed the Walgreens bag into her purse, so that no one else could see what she had brought in. She couldn't imagine what would happen if someone like Jason found out.
"I'll run interference, you go take the test," Rose whispered before exiting the elevator and demanding a sparring session from Hank.
The older Titan looked a little taken aback, he wasn't used to be called on for training. Though, he did jump up from the kitchen stool and start making his way towards the training room. Stretching as he went and calling over to Dawn to get the med packs ready.
"Hey, where is everyone else?" Kory asked Dawn, so that Rachel could grab the carton of orange juice out of the fridge and escape to her room.
"He took Gar and Conner to the DMV to get their permits, Jason went with them for 'support'," Dawn answered with a small chuckle. Everyone knew that Jason's idea of 'support' would be to mock the two relentlessly.
"Okay, so how about we order in for dinner then? Could you run to that Mexican place down the street and pick up something?" Kory asked, as if she had just thought of the idea.
"Um, sure I can do that, it was Hank's turn to cook anyway, and I doubt he's going to be in any fit state to cook after a session with Rose," Dawn replied, picking up her wallet and keys before saying goodbye and heading out the door.
Walking quickly to Rachel's room, Kory knocked on the door to find the younger girl chugging orange juice and staring at the box on the table. Explaining that everyone was occupied for a while, so it was safe to do the test.
"I'll be right in here when you're done," Kory said softly.
Nodding her head, Rachel grabbed the box and made her way to the bathroom across the hall. She could hear the grunts and shouts of Hank and Rose in the training room. The rest of the tower was completely silent, giving Rachel enough silence to hear her own terrified thoughts.
Locking the door of the bathroom, Rachel quickly read through the instructions. It all seemed fairly simple. Pee on the stick, put the cap back on and wait three minutes for results. One line meant not pregnant whereas two meant pregnant.
Getting a control on her nerves, she managed to pee on the stick and then replaced the cap and set a timer for three minutes. She didn't feel like waiting by herself in the bathroom but didn't want to chance running across the hall with a pregnancy test in her hand.
A soft rapping on the bathroom door solved the problem for her. Rachel almost threw open the door and dragged Kory in, locking it behind her. The older woman didn't seem to object, she only put the lid down on the toilet while Rachel stared at the piece of plastic resting on the sink.
When the timer went off, Rachel was still standing stock still. She was trying to get her breathing under control but had begun to fail miserably. Taking one final deep breath, Rachel reached out and grabbed the piece of plastic that innocently held her future.
She turned it over to look at the window, seeing two bright pink lines cheerfully starting up at her. It caused her to start silently crying once again. She almost failed to notice that Kory had taken her into her arms and put the test down.
"It's going to be okay, sweetie, it is. Well figure this out, I promise we're all here for you," Kory whispered calmly on repeat.
Breaking out of Kory's arms, Rachel grabbed the second test out of the box. She was already pulling her pants down, either not noticing or caring that Kory was still in the bathroom with her. Her mind had taken on a sharp focus, needing further confirmation.
The second test said exactly the same as the first test. The two cheerful pink lines telling her that she was in fact pregnant. Rachel had wanted to go out and get another test, but Kory had managed to get her out of the bathroom and back to her room, throwing the two tests in the trash.
Rachel didn't know how long she was in her room with Kory, or when Rose slipped in. They were all sitting on her bed, holding her, not saying a word. The weight of what would need to happen next pressing on all their minds.
"We could go to Planned Parenthood tomorrow?" Rose said, looking at Rachel, "We don't even need to tell anyone, we could just go, get it done and be back before anyone notices. Just say that you've got cramps or something to get out of training. I'm sure Dick would go all squirmy if you talked about your cramps."
"I have to tell Gar," Rachel said so quietly that she was sure that they would not be able to hear her. But they both did.
"Why, it's not you're planning on keeping it! Right? You're not planning on keeping it?" Rose asked, only to be shushed by Kory.
"We can do whatever you want. You can tell Gar, or you don't have to. Either way, we'll support you," Kory said with a sad smile.
The alien girl looked over at Rose, who nodded her head. The three then sat hugging until they heard the sounds of people returning from wherever they had been. They could hear Dawn and Hank arguing over the food that had been obviously been set out. They could also hear the sounds of boys arguing over something.
"You ready to head out?" Kory asked, rubbing soothing circles on the back of Rachel's hands.
In all honesty, Rachel was not ready to face anyone, but she knew that if she didn't make an appearance that would raise more questions. So, she nodded her head and went to the vanity to fix her make-up, using liberal amounts of concealer to fix her puffy eyes.
The three walked into the dining room to see the table full of Mexican food. Everyone else was already there, exuberantly talking about their day. Both Gar and Conner had successfully gotten their permits and were excited to start driving, while Dick seemed less than enthused about teaching a shapeshifter and a super-clone how to drive.
"Hey Rach! Where you been? Did you hear, Dick's gonna teach me to drive," Gar enthused, rushing over to Rachel to hug her hello.
As she less than enthusiastically returned the hug, Gar was a little concerned. He could also see the slight puffiness of her eyes which she had tried to cover with make-up. Her scent was also off, it seemed to be mixed with fear and something else.
Gar was about to ask what was wrong, but Rachel shook her head, silencing him. She did grab a hold of his hand, letting him know that she wasn't mad at him. He willingly followed her to the table, taking a seat next to her.
The dinner turned a little quiet and awkward, with most of the table unsure what had happened to the mood. Several conversations were started and then quickly aborted, the only conversation that lasted longer than two minutes was Hank's description of his sparring match with Rose. This caused raucous laughter, with everyone imagining Hank being tossed around by a teenage girl a third his size.
After dinner Dick suggested a movie night, since he had the day off tomorrow and wanted to relax. The others readily agreed, the arguments already starting about which type of movie to watch. but, before Gar could put his two cents in Rachel grabbed a hold of his hand and pulled him towards the elevator.
"We're gonna go out," Rachel called, looking to Kory and Rose, understanding shining in their eyes.
"Don't be out too long," Dick called over the din of Jason and Hank's argument of Die Hard versus the Fast and the Furious.
Both nodded and headed out to the elevator. They rode down in silence, Gar trying to speak but Rachel wouldn't reply much. Though she did take his hand again and smiled weakly. She also allowed Gar to pull her into a tight hug.
The walk to the coffee shop had been silent, as soon as they came in sight of its Gar pulled his hat on his distinctive hair. He still felt really awkward being in their coffee shop since his whole Cadmus mind control thing. No one ever seemed to recognise him though.
"What'll be kids?" the spikey haired waitress asked when it was their turn in line.
"Um, a large mocha and a chai latte, please," Gar said, glancing over at Rachel who seemed to be trying to think about something.
The two waited while their drinks were being made in silence. Gar deciding the best approach was to let Rachel start the conversation. Yet it was frustrating for the high-energy changeling, especially when he knew that something was wrong and didn't know how to make it better.
Their order was called, with their names being read as "Raquel" and "Gary" again. They were so used to this cliched treatment that both didn't even react or try to correct the mistake.
"Here you are," The barista said as he handed over the drinks.
"Thanks, here you are Rach," Gar said handing Rachel her mocha.
"Gar, I'm pregnant," Rachel suddenly blurted out, causing both Gar and the barista to stop mid-action, both with identical looks of shock on their faces. It seemed Rachel was done waiting for the right moment and had just settled on right now.
Looking around, utterly confused and terrified, Gar grabbed both Rachel and the drinks and dragged her quickly over to a table. He looked quickly back to the barista who just gave him a sympathetic smile and went back to making drinks.
"Um, what?" Gar asked as soon as they had both sat down.
"That thing that I forgot. Well, it turns out it was my period. I'm currently three weeks late," Rachel said matter-of-factly into her mocha, too afraid to look her boyfriend in the eye.
"Are you sure?" Gar asked, moving closer and grabbing Rachel's hands.
"I did two tests."
"But, but, we used condoms. All, what, four times we actually had sex! We were careful!" Gar whispered almost desperately.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, but even used correctly condoms are only, like, ninety-eight percent effective. I guess we were just in the fucking unlucky two percent," Rachel replied, beginning to cry. She couldn't believe that this had happened on top of everything else they had both been through.
"Hey, hey, don't cry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Gar said moving closer and pulling Rachel into a hug, "it's going to be okay. Whatever happens, whatever you decide, I'll be here. I'll be right here. That is, of course, if Dick doesn't murder me," Gar said, trying to make a joke to lighten the mood and instantly regretting it.
"Yeah, like I'd let him," Rachel said with a sad scoff.
The two sat there for hours, letting their drinks go cold, before they even attempted to make a move. They had both gotten several missed messages and calls before Gar picked up his phone and answer Kory's fourth call.
"Hi Kory, yeah, she told me. We'll head back now," Gar said simply, pulling Rachel out of her seat and grabbing her things.
When they arrived back to the tower, the movie night had devolved into Hank, Dick and Jason marathoning all the Fast and the Furious movies. Everyone else had left to their own rooms, so that they were able to quietly walk past the three boys without being bothered.
"Can you, can you stay with me tonight?" Rachel asked timidly when they got to her room.
"Of course," Gar replied, without a thought to anyone else other than the girl standing in front of him.
Waking up the next morning, Gar was a little disorientated to realise that he wasn't in his own room. He quickly figured out where he was and why he was there though. As Rachel tight grip on his t-shirt made itself known.
He looked over at her retro alarm clock to see that it was seven am. They didn't need to get up for a while, as it was a morning of rest for everyone. Unless something important happened.
At the moment though, Gar could think of nothing as important as what he had been told last night. He just stared at the ceiling, not moving and trying to get his head around the fact that he had gotten his girlfriend pregnant.
He understood the basic facts of how it had happened, his teenage boy brain as well as his animal brain could remember every detail of having sex with his girlfriend. That would be forever seared in the happiest part of his memory. He also understood that no form of protection was a hundred percent effective, and statistically someone had to get pregnant while using condoms.
He just couldn't understand why it had to be them. He didn't understand why the universe had made him an orphan and a green shapeshifter which had been used by evil scientists to kill several people, who had finally found some degree of normality and happiness, to have this happen.
Taking a deep breath, Gar tried to organise his thoughts. He knew that he wanted to have children, in the distant future. After college and after he was married, with a house and a yard, plus a stable job with a decent salary where no one would try to kill him.
This was not the right time for either of them. They were both repeating their sophomore year while moonlighting as superhero trainees. Just last week, Gar had broken his collar bone while being thrown across a rooftop and almost off a building. While Rachel recently been thrown into a wall, that was why they had gotten a little extra physical that night. This was definitely not a situation that was suitable to raise a baby in.
But he didn't know what she wanted to do. So far, they had not discussed anything past going to college on the east coast. With Rachel's parentage she probably didn't even want kids.
If he was being honest with himself, the best decision that Rachel could make was to have an abortion. He wasn't going to pressure her to make that decision though. Gar had promised that he would stand by whatever decision she made, and he meant it.
If she wanted to have the baby, he would take a parenting course and try to get his inheritance early. If she wanted to give the baby up for adoption, he would hold her hand in the delivery room and hold her close when she hands over the baby. And, if she wanted to terminate, he would go with her to the doctor's appointment and hold her hand for that.
"You're thinking really loudly. I'm not even a telepath and I can tell exactly what you're thinking," said Rachel's groggy voice as she began to stir in his arms.
"Sorry, it was a lot last night," Gar replied, looking down at his now awake girlfriend.
"Yeah. I'm sorry about that," Rachel said, sitting up in her bed. She was about to say something else when there was a knocking on the door.
Both teens froze, as they knew that if that was Dick, they would be in so much trouble. Luckily, Kory's voice came from the other side of the door.
Rachel gave Gar a small kiss on the lips before she got up and opened the door to let Kory in. The older woman didn't even react to seeing Gar in Rachel's bed, probably knowing that they would be in either of their rooms together.
"So, I know it's really early, but I thought it would be best to talk before everyone else gets up," Kory said sitting on Rachel's desk while the younger girl sat on the bed next to her boyfriend.
"We haven't really had much time to talk about the next steps," Gar said simply.
"That's understandable. So, how about we make a plan to talk about the next steps. Rose is more than willing to be a distraction again, so that we could go somewhere and talk. Or I could take you to Planned Parenthood and you two could talk to someone there?" Kory said as calmly as she could.
"Okay, I think going somewhere and talking would be best. Or talking to someone, what do you think, Gar?" Rachel asked.
"I think, whatever you want to do, Rach. I'm here to support you," Gar said with a small smile, knowing that it was a frustrating answer, but it was the only one he had.
"Okay, you two better get dressed and get to breakfast before Dick comes to get you up. You know what he'll be like if he finds you two in here," Kory said with a smile and a small laugh as she left the room.
"So, what do you really want to do?" Rachel asked as soon as Kory left.
"I want to do whatever you want. If you want the baby, we'll have the baby. If you don't want to have the baby, then we won't," Gar replied taking his girlfriend's hands.
"Is it selfish to say I don't want the baby?"
"No. we're not exactly in the best place to have a baby. I think it would be the most un-selfish thing to not want to have this baby." Gar said honestly.
This was what Rachel needed to hear, confirmation that she wasn't being a selfish bitch for not wanting to carry a baby to term at sixteen years old. She threw her arms around her boyfriend and hugged him tightly. She might have said 'thank you' to him, but she wasn't sure. All she was aware of was his arms holding her tightly.
It took a lot to break that hug, but they needed to get ready. They knew that Dick would be up any minute to wake them up for breakfast. He always took this day to cook and would want everyone there to try his healthy concoctions.
With a final reassuring kiss, Gar slipped from Rachel's room to leave her to get changed and to change himself. They both got in a quick shower, as there were enough bathrooms to go around and not everyone was up yet. Then Rachel fixed her hair and make-up after gagging in the toilet bowl for ten minutes. She changed into her comfiest jeans and dark flannel shirt, deciding that she needed to be comfortable today.
When she was ready, she joined the others in the dining room. She could see Dick in the kitchen whipping up whatever he had decided to cook with Donna trying to help. She hoped that whatever it was didn't have any cauliflower in it. Gar was already there, pouring coffee for everyone while Kory sat down next to Rose. As soon as they saw her, they gave her a reassuring smile.
Conner was sitting at the table, talking to Krypto who was sitting next to his chair. While Hank and Dawn were discussing their plans for the afternoon, arguing about shopping or sparring. It was a nice domestic scene which Rachel had taken part in many mornings.
"What's up!" Jason's voice came from down the corridor carrying what appeared to be the plastic recycling bucket.
"What you got there Jason?" Dick asked as everyone began to take their seats.
"Well, since it's my month for taking out the trash, I've been having to go through everyone's trash to sort out the recyclables. Including the bathroom trash, which led me to find the tests that were thrown out there," Jason said pulling out two white pregnancy tests from the bin and causing the table to freeze.
The first person to unfreeze was Hank, who instantly jumped up and asked Dawn when she was going to tell him, causing Donna to gasp. That made Dick jump up and almost physically shake Jason, while Gar just grabbed hold of Rachel's hand on the table. While Rose and Kory went still, waiting for the explosion of truth and Conner just sat there looking completely confused.
"It's not mine!" Dawn exclaimed, almost slapping Hank.
"Well then, whose is it?" Hank asked, looking around the table, his eyes landing on Donna who vehemently denied it.
Then Hank, Dawn and Donna's eyes all landed on Rachel and Gar clasped hands and wide-eyed guilty expressions.
"Rachel?" Donna asked softly, while Hank shook his head and Dawn gasped.
"No way," Jason whispered, looking down at the test and finally saying that they said positive. When he had picked them up, he had thought they had said negative and had assumed that they belonged to Dawn. He had only wanted to prove a point that the adults could be just as irresponsible as the teens in the house and that Dick should stop nagging and lecturing everyone. He hadn't even realised that Gar and Rachel were having sex.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" Dick yelled, throwing Jason to floor and practically leaping over the table to tackle Gar.
"Shit!" was all anyone heard before Gar took off at a run, being closely followed by Dick and then Donna and Kory who were trying to restrain the livid team leader.
"You really are a little shit," Hank venomously said from where he was standing, while everyone else glared daggers at the boy.
Rachel, meanwhile, had not moved a muscle. She was obviously still in shock when her secret was publicly announced over breakfast. Donna and Rose had come around the table to try to reassure and calm the visibly shaken girl.
It took a while to get everyone calmed down and talking like reasonable adults. They had moved the discussion to the den, so that everyone was more comfortable. Rachel was sitting next to Gar on the couch, with Gar hugging her as close to his body as he could. They were being flanked by both Kory and Rose on either side of them.
Dick was sitting in an armchair directly across from the couple, fuming. He was had been talked down by both Donna and Kory, the former was sitting on a stool next to him. Everyone else was spread out around the den, not knowing what to do but knowing that they had to be there for support of their teammates.
"Just, how? Explain how you two could have been that stupid to get pregnant?" Dick eventually said, still livid.
"We weren't stupid, we used protection," Gar argued back, annoyed that that was the first thing that Dick had said.
"You two shouldn't have been having sex at all! You're too young!" Dick yelled, leaping out of his chair only to be pushed back down by a protective Amazon.
"Come on Dick, everyone here was sexually active at sixteen and condoms aren't one hundred percent effective," Dawn said softly, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Besides, what's done is done. There is no point in arguing or pointing fingers right now. What we need to do is plan what to do now," Kory chipped in.
"Great idea let's hear what your plans are now. Garfield, Rachel how are you planning on supporting yourselves and a baby?" Dick asked angrily.
After several long moments of silence, and with Gar's soothing grip on her hands, Rachel admitted that they wouldn't be.
"We both feel that the best course of action is to terminate," Rachel said softly, looking at Gar for support.
"We are too young to have a baby. We can't give a baby away as it'll probably be a meta of some sort and would need a lot of support. So, the most unselfish thing for everyone involved would to not have the baby," Gar supplied, knowing that it was difficult for Rachel to communicate this with all the angry emotions swirling in the room.
"Well, that is really sensible and mature of you both," Donna said honestly.
"Right, it's been a long morning and I think we all need a breather right now. I also need to take these two up to Planned Parenthood, so that they can talk to someone more experience with this. I've already made the appointment, so we should be good to go," Kory said firmly, standing up to make it final.
Everyone started to make their way out of the den, a little more subdued than they would have been on a day off. It seemed like all plans were out of the window, with most people staying in the tower for the day rather than enjoying their days.
"Hey guys, look I'm really sorry. I didn't realise they said positive or that they would be yours, I just wanted to make a point to Dick that the geezers were just as irresponsible as we could be," Jason said to Gar and Rachel.
"I know you didn't mean to fuck us over, but you kinda did. So, if you don't mind, I'd rather not to talk to you for a while," Rachel said coldly with Gar nodding in agreement.
The two gathered their jackets and left the den with Kory, to go to the clinic. While Dick and Jason were left to get a lecture from Donna and Rose about their behaviour that morning.
The drive to the nearest Planned Parenthood Clinic was quiet and unremarkable. Unfortunately, when they arrived at the door, they could see the pro-life protestors gathered. It wasn't a big crowd, but it was a noisy crowd, with judgemental signs and angry participants.
"Fuck, right, we don't have to go in today. We could come back another day," Kory said, parking just down the street from the clinic.
"Will it be more or less likely that they wouldn't be here another day?" Rachel asked, knowing full well that these kinds of protestors were nothing if not persistent.
So, the three got out of the car and walked the gauntlet to the clinic. They were screamed at, with signs shoved into their faces, making them all feel small and guilty. But the entire time Gar held Rachel close, reassuring her that they were making the right decision.
"That was so fucked-up!" Kory almost yelled when they finally made it into the door. It had taken a lot to keep her anger in check and not burn up each narrow minded human in a ball of starfire. But it probably wouldn't have been the best idea given the circumstances. They didn't need the news that night to read that the Titans had killed a bunch of protestors outside an abortion provider.
Once inside the clinic though, they were made to feel welcome. A receptionist had almost run to the door to make sure that they were all fine. She then led them to some comfy chairs where they were given something to drink and some forms to fill in.
Kory had brought their medical information with her. As Titans they had a very comprehensive plan with the Wayne Organisation. Even if they didn't, Kory would have used her wealth or guilted Dick into using his, to make sure that this could happen smoothly. She was still unsure about this whole health insurance thing, but hopefully it would be simple enough here.
They didn't need to wait very long, being called in to see their consultant within thirty minutes of arriving. It seemed the protestors were doing their job, making sure that some people thought twice about entering the clinic. It made Kory angry again, as it should be a choice made by the people involved.
And it was a difficult choice. She knew that this was the right choice for both Gar and Rachel, both of whom were not ready for parenthood. But it was obviously heart breaking for them. She could see it in their silent and grave faces, quietly holding each other closely.
"Rachel Roth?" said the friendly but frazzled looking consultant, who had just come into the waiting area.
Rachel stood up, confirming her name. So, did both Gar and Kory. The consultant asked if she wanted both Kory and Gar to accompany her in the consultation, which Rachel replied that she did. The consultant, whose name was Doctor Whiting, just nodded and smiled. She then directed them to her consultation room.
"So, Rachel, how can we be of service today?" Doctor Whiting asked.
"I'm, I'm pregnant and I would like not to be," Rachel replied quietly, as both Gar and Kory held her hands.
"Okay, have you considered the other options available to you?"
"Yeah, I'm still in school, and I'm not in a suitable place for adoption," Rachel replied. Gar leaned over and softly kissed her purple haired head.
"I think that's very mature of you Rachel. I can see you have a lot of support for your decision. I'm glad you've got so many people in your corner. Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions about your period, then I'll have to give you a scan to confirm your date. We can then decide between a medical abortion and an in-clinic abortion. Is that okay?" Rachel nodded her consent, while the consultant wrote a few notes.
The consultation and exam were rather simple. They managed to estimate that she was only seven weeks pregnant, which meant that either option, in-clinic or medical, was available to her. They opted for an in-clinic abortion though, as it had a higher success rate.
The consultant explained that this was a simple procedure where a mild suction device is inserted into the uterus to remove the foetal tissue. She would have some anaesthesia to numb her cervix and would be given both painkillers and antibiotics for after. She would then need to come back two weeks to check that it was successful.
"We can also discuss some more effective birth control methods," Doctor Whiting said simply.
"We used condoms, we were sensible," Rachel replied defensively.
"I understand, it must be frustrating to use protection and yet still have to come here. But there are some other methods of contraception that have a higher success rate, which we can discuss when you've come back for your follow-up."
The examination and procedure were fairly simple. The pelvic exam wasn't too difficult, though the speculum was uncomfortable as was the pap smear. A wand ultrasound was used to accurately date her, to double check that she was able to have the in-clinic abortion rather than needing something else.
She was then given painkillers and a local anaesthetic to numb her cervix. The consultant then began the procedure which only took fifteen minutes. It felt uncomfortable, but not painful. It was all numb inside, but she could feel something moving which was odd.
All the while, Gar held her hand and tried to talk about other things. He tried to get her to explain the book that she was now reading, with lot of questions to keep her speaking. He then asked her about which movies that are coming out that she would like to see. And why she wanted to see them, with as much reviewer comments that he could manage.
When the procedure was over, Doctor Whiting gave them all more pamphlets about what had happened and scheduled her for another appointment. It would be in two weeks and she would just have a check to make sure that everything had been removed.
The entire trip had only been a few hours, from entering the clinic to the exit consultation. The clinic had been professional and comforting, for lack of a better word. The only thing that made the day worse was having to walk past the protesters on the way in and the way out.
Arriving back at the tower, Rachel found all her favourite foods on the table as well as her favourite import coffee. She could see Jason in the kitchen, pulling a fresh pan of brownies out of the oven, looking rather sheepish.
This was his way to apologise. He had spent all day in the kitchen cooking as many things that he could remember Rachel grabbing for. He had brownies and cookies, which were Betty Crocker but still counted. He had gone out to get some Thai, Indian and Italian food, as well as lots of bottles of Grape Crush and tubs of Ben and Jerrys.
"I'm sorry Rachel, I… I can't really say anything else other than sorry, really. But I am. If you need anything else, I'll run out and get it," Jason said, his hand rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"He will, he's been feeling guilty all day," Rose said from her perch on the kitchen stool. She then got up and hugged Rachel tightly, then Gar, both looked on the brink of tears from the display of guilt-ridden food in front of them.
That was when they noticed Dick coming towards them. He looked incredibly guilty, more so than Jason. He also looked a little defeated, like he had fought several people all morning and lost. Which was probably accurate as Donna, Dawn and Conner all looked very pleased of themselves
"Hey Rachel, hey Garfield. Listen, I owe both of you an apology. I overreacted this morning. I really overreacted this morning. I shouldn't have assumed the worst. It was really sensible and mature what you two did today. I'm proud of you both. And, I also think, that since you've been so sensible, I should react some of the rules for you guys. It was probably that that made you afraid to talk to me. And I don't want you to be, afraid that is, to talk to me. I want to be here for you, both of you. For whatever you need. I hope you two can forgive me, for all my stupidity. It's just, I see you guys as the kids I picked up all those years ago. It's hard to remember that you two are both almost adults. But, anyway, I guess I'm just sorry."
Without a word, Rachel rushed forward, throwing her arms around Dick and hugging him tightly. It had hurt so much more than she wanted to admit that he hadn't been supportive that morning. She had felt as if she had disappointed her father figure and mentor.
Once she had let go of Dick, he walked up to Gar and apologised again, holding out his hand for Gar to shake. But the younger man slapped it away and threw his arms around Dick's neck as well. Just happy that his mentor didn't want to kill him anymore.
The next few months were a little odd. Everyone in the tower were slightly walking on eggshells, not wanting to set anyone off. Especially Dick and Jason, who were going out of their way to apologise as much as they could.
Even after Rachel and Gar went back for their follow-up appointment, in which Rachel got an IUD, and they were given the all clear. Things didn't return to normal for anyone. Which made Rachel feel more abnormal than she had before.
Jason had taken over all chore duty from both Gar and Rachel. They didn't even need to ask, he just did it. He also kept his opinions and snarky comments to himself. Until about a month later when Rachel punched him in the stomach and told him to stop acting weird.
Dick, meanwhile, was doing everything he could to make it up to Gar. He was taking him for almost daily driving lessons and going easy on his during combat practice. Which was making Gar edgy, rather than making him more relaxed.
And, he was handling Rachel with kid gloves. He didn't force her to attend combat practice or push her with her powers. He didn't assign her watch duty, or Conner babysitting duty. He didn't push her grades or make her apply for extra-credit. It was like he was afraid of upsetting her in anyway, which upset her even more.
Eventually, Kory explained to Dick that he needed to start treating them both as he had before. That, Rachel needed to have things get back to normal if she was going to start to feel normal again. It upset Dick to know that he was still upsetting both Gar and Rachel, and he had no idea how to make it better.
"Just, treat us like you did before. Just, you know, don't go all OCD about the, you know, 'no sex' rule again," Rose explained during one of her sparring sessions with Dick.
After that, Dick made a conscious effort to treat everyone like he had before. Though, the incident did have an unexpected result. Everyone was more willing to talk to each other, to try and air things before it got too far.
Dick had started a weekly chat, so that everyone could discuss what rules were working and what rules weren't. there they could also assign new things, and make sure everyone was doing well in the tower. Especially the younger members, who were still unsure of who they were and who they wanted to be.
In time, everything did start to return to normal. Relationships flourished and changed, and people grew. And, looking back, neither Gar nor Rachel regretted the decision they made.
Thanks for reading, let me know what you think but please be kind.
I just I did this justice.