I don't own any of these characters.
Part 6
Warrens dreams were full of the tiny heartbeat that he had heard on the sonogram the afternoon before. The little beat cemented the reality of the situation into his head that he was going to have a baby. He had decided right there and then that he would be there for his child unlike his own father. A noise disturbed his dreams and caused him to grunt in annoyance.
"Psst."
"Go way," Warren sleepily mumbled.
"Warren. Wake up," the annoying voice said again.
"Sleeping," Warren moaned as he tried to go back to sleep.
"Please Warren. I need to talk to you," the voice begged sounding more and more familiar.
"Will?" Warren said opening his eyes to see his friend standing beside his bed, "What are you doing here? What time is it?"
"It's 2:00 in the morning," Will answered looking very anxious, "And I really need to talk to you in private. No one would let me come and see you yesterday after the meeting."
"I should kill you for waking me up," Warren grumped as he pulled himself up a bit, "But I'll be lenient with you since you look like you need to talk."
"Thanks Warren," Will said in relief as he sat in the chair beside his friend's bed before blurting out, "I…I'm so sorry. I can't believe that this has happened to us."
"I can't either," Warren agreed, "But I still don't blame you. Even though my father expressed it badly, he was right in saying that the school should have set up some safeguards to keep students from getting hurt."
"I agree. What are you planning on doing with the baby?" Will asked before starting to babble, "I know that you might not want the child, but I do. I told my parents that I would take the baby if you plan on giving the child up for adoption. I'll pay for your medical bills and be there for you all throughout the pregnancy. Please don't abort the baby."
"Will. Stop," Warren ordered, "I'm not aborting the baby and I'm not giving my baby up for adoption. You are the other father and I expected that you would want to take an active role in the child's raising, but this baby will remain with me."
"Thank God," Will breathed in relief, "Are you sure about this?"
"I am very sure," Warren said, "I have dealt with a lot throughout my life and this will be no different. I can handle this for my baby's benefit."
Will looked at Warren in awe. Warren glared back at his friends feeling uncomfortable.
"What?" he demanded.
"You are the strongest person I know," Will said much to Warren's embarrassment.
"Yeah right," Warren snapped testily.
"No. I mean it," Will said smiling softly, "You have had so much to deal with already and now this happens and you step up to the challenge. You're going to make a great…"
"If you say 'mother' I'm going to fry you," Warren warned as he ignited a fist.
"I was going to say 'father,'" Will giggled, "I wouldn't even try to get away with calling you a 'mother.'"
"Well at least you learn," Warren said looking very weary, "Will, I'm tired. Today was really tough and I know that things are going to get worse before it gets better. You and I will be fine okay. No go to bed and leave me alone."
"Yes sir," Will chuckled as he left his friend's room, "Goodnight Warren."
"Bed," Warren snapped as he turned off the light.
O0
The next day everybody found themselves once again in the same conference room. Baron Battle smiled gently at his son from the television screen as Warren was rolled into the room in his hospital bed.
"How are your feeling?" he asked.
"I'm fine Dad," Warren answered honestly, "I'm still a little sore, but the doctors think that I should be healed enough to walk in a week or two."
"That's good news," Mr. Battle said with relief in his voice.
"Well, I for one have some stipulation to set up before this meeting commences," the head doctor said as he stood, "There will be no more yelling and ranting. I will not allow you to put my patients' health at risk again. Mr. Peace is in an especially delicate position and does not need to be upset. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir," everybody chorused together.
"We first need to hear from Mr. Peace to see what he has decided about the baby," the doctor continued.
Warren felt nervous when all eyes turned towards him. He felt completely vulnerable for a moment, but after a smile from his mother, a wink from his father, and a shared look with Will he was able to form the necessary words.
"I'm keeping the baby," Warren announced to the others in the room, "This child is a part of me even though I had no choice in his or her conception. This was not the baby's or Will's fault. Hell! By the second day, my body was the one that instigated sexual intercourse without my control. I want you all to realize this. Will did not do this on purpose and neither did I. I won't have you blaming the victims in this situation and I damn well won't allow you to blame my child."
"Neither will I," Will said to the others, "I know that this is an unusual situation, but I now have a child to think about as well. I plan on supporting Warren in his decision."
"Are you sure Warren?" Steve Stronghold said, "You and Will are awfully young to be considering parenthood. You could give the baby up for adoption to a loving home and move on with your life."
"I'm (He's) not giving up my (his) baby!" Warren and his mother snapped together.
"Hush Steve," Josie Stronghold said before turning her attention to the irate duo, "My husband is not trying to force you to give up your child Warren. We only want to make sure that you realize the full ramifications of your decision."
"My son and I have already discussed this," Maddie Peace responded, "We will make the proper arrangements so that Warren will be able to raise his child while working to reach his life goals. I will be there to support my son and grandchild."
"I'll be there too," Will insisted, "Warren and I are not involved romantically, but this child is also mine and I want to be there for my firstborn's life. I will help support Warren and the baby as well."
"Josie and I will help in anyway we can," Steve said, "After all the child is a Stronghold."
"The child is a Peace," Mr. Battle growled at his archenemy.
"Well, my son is the father so the child is a Stronghold," Steve sniped back.
"You arrogant, pompous jackass!" Battle snarled, "My son is also the baby's father and he's carrying the kid so he has the ultimate decision here!"
"That's right," Warren snapped angrily, "That's why the child's last name will be my decision. I'm thinking of Peacehold."
"Peacehold?" his father said.
"Yes, Peacehold," his son reiterated more calmly, "It is a combination of the two names."
"I like it," the two fathers chorused together before turning to scowl at one another.
"It sounds like you have thought this through completely," Ms. Powers said.
"Yes ma'am," Warren agreed.
"Sky High will be taking care of all of your medical bills as well as the child's," she informed the gathering, "We recognize our responsibility in this mishap and have already started the ball rolling on setting up a college fund for the baby."
"You're only doing that so my son won't sue you," Mr. Battle scoffed.
"No Baron," Ms. Peace said calmly, "We are doing this because it is the right thing to do. You asked what kind of a school I was running and I thought that it was a school that protected its students. I was proved wrong and now I wish to make amends to the best of my ability. I will be able to arrange a schedule that will allow Warren to get through his pregnancy and care for his baby so that he will graduate with his class and become the Hero we know he will become."
"I cannot apologize to the fullest amount necessary," Mr. Medulla said sadly, "I never thought in my wildest years that I could lose control of my students and their inventions. I have already turned in my resignation."
"No! You can't do that," Will gasped.
"You can't be every place at once and you cannot control every action of your students," Warren said to his teacher.
"I agree," Ms. Peace said, "That is why I did not accept his resignation. The lab and school grounds will now be fitted with safe measure devices that will not allow a ray gun to fire without Mr. Medulla's say so. He will be the only person who will be testing the inventions from here on out so no more mishaps can happen again."
"How does this work?" Maddie demanded.
"Any accidental firing of a ray gun will be negated before it even leaves the barrel," Ms. Peace explained, "Students can point the ray guns at anyone and nothing will happen."
"Well that's more like it," Josie said, "Kids can make mistakes, but some aren't very nice to their fellow student body. How will you keep them from taking the ray guns off of school property?"
"Every ray gun will be fully detectable," Mr. Medulla said, "They will not be able to get out of the school with any invention without Ms. Powers' knowledge."
"What are we going to say to the school body?" Will asked nervously, "It's already October 9 and Warren will start showing in just a few months. Students are going to suspect something. I don't want my child to be labeled a 'freak' because of his or her conception."
"None of the students fully know what happened between you and Warren," Ms. Peace said, "We can create a cover story explaining that the ray gun created conception of the child when you merely touched Mr. Peace. The students would view the pregnancy as an accident and they shouldn't blame an innocent child."
"That won't keep people from labeling the baby," Warren said, "Many still label me as a 'villain.'"
"You can change people's minds," Mr. Battle said to everybody's surprise, "Be very open about the baby. Make people realize that the pregnancy happened by accident, but the baby is an innocent in this situation. The students will buzz for awhile, but then they will accept that this is just a unique situation and let it go. That way people will forget and not hold it over my grandchild's head when he or she is older."
"I hate to say it, but Baron's right," Steve agreed.
"I will make the announcement prior to your return to school," Ms. Peace explained to her two students, "I will personally make sure that things go as smoothly as possible."
"Thank you," Warren said sleepily before yawning.
"Yes. Thank you," Will said before asking, "Why is Warren always tired all of a sudden? Does this have anything to do with the baby?"
"Yes Mr. Stronghold," the doctor said, "Mr. Peace is tired from healing and his pregnancy. He will have to take it easy for the next nine months."
"Will I be tired all the time?" Warren asked testily, "I've got to be able to function."
"We will discuss what to expect a little bit later," the doctor said, "You should just take things one day at a time."
"Listen to him Son. He knows what he is talking about," Mr. Battle said.
"Fine," Warren agreed before looking over at his father sadly, "When will I be able to see you again?"
"Anytime that you need to," his father said as he smiled at his son, "The hospital has agreed to allow you to come and speak with me via the satellite system whenever you arrange a time."
"That's great! Thank you," Warren said happily to the doctors before turning his attention back to his father, "Bye Dad."
"Goodbye Child," his father answered him as he was rolled from the room.
To be continued…
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