Don't own the characters. Don't make any money off of them either.

Damn!

Chapter 7

Will caught up to Warren as he was rolled out of the elevator to reach his room.

"What should I tell Layla?" Will moaned as his parents came up from behind him, "She knows us well enough to sense when we aren't being truthful. She's going to kill me! What am I going to do?"

"You're right about the 'knowing' part, but not about the 'killing' part," Warren said uneasily, "We'll have to tell her the truth Will. She will understand that you didn't cheat on her on purpose. This was something neither of us could control."

"I don't want to hurt her," Will admitted, "I am afraid that Layla will be crushed and I'm not sure that our relationship can survive this."

"Your not giving Layla enough credit," Warren said, "She is more a part of nature than either of us. She will understand the type of reaction the ray gun caused between us. It may take time, but she will understand."

"Warren's right Honey," Josie Stronghold said to her son, "Layla is a very smart and mature young lady. She will understand if you explain it to her. You and Layla have a strong connection that I don't think even something like this will sever. Give her the chance to show you this."

"Okay," Will sighed, "I'll try to think of a way to tell her."

"You'd better think fast," Warren said, "I think I see her outside of my room with my mother."

"Oh…um…yeah," Steve Stronghold stuttered out as all eyes turned towards him, "I called Layla to let her know we were here last night. She sounded frantic on the answering machine and I didn't want her to worry."

"Oh shit!" Will whispered as he pulled his robe tighter around his body before moving forward to greet his girlfriend, "Layla! How are you doing?"

"Will," Layla said whirling around and throwing herself into his arms before she began babbling, "Are you okay? How's Warren? I heard there was an accident in mad science lab and then you weren't at school and home. Your dad called me last night. I was so worried. What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Will got out before Layla saw Warren and rushed to his still moving bed.

"Warren! Oh my God! Are you okay? What's going on here? What kind of accident happened in the lab?" Layla gasped out with wide eyes, "You look terrible."

"Layla chill out," Warren huffed as he was pushed into his room, "And thanks for the whole 'you look terrible' thing by the way. Come into my room so Will and I can explain."

Layla and Will took a seat in a couple of chairs so that they would be out of the way so Warren could be settled into his room. Once Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold had left and Ms. Peace excused herself, Will and Warren looked at one another uneasily since they weren't quite sure how to begin.

"Tell me already," Layla snapped, "What's going on? Why won't the two of you tell me what has happened?"

"Layla it's really complicate," Will finally began, "And I want you to hear me out completely without interrupting, okay? You know that I love you dearly, right?"

"Will, you're scaring me," Layla said, "I won't interrupt. Now spit it out!"

"Well…um…you see…in class…" Will stuttered out.

"For goodness sakes!" Warren growled before he began to explain to his friend what had happened in the classroom that day and what the ray gun brought out in Will and himself.

"What are you saying?" Layla asked with wide eyes.

"Layla, look at me," Warren said very gently, "The ray gun locked away Will's consciousness. He doesn't remember what happened after he was hit, but an animal took Will's place. He was acting on his most basic of survival instincts."

"Okay," Layla said, "So what happened? Why are you in a hospital bed and why are they not allowing you to walk?"

"It's my fault," Will whispered mournfully, "The ray gun made me revert back to the instincts of a caveman. I sensed in that frame of mind that Warren was…that he could…"

"He could what?" Layla asked her boyfriend gently.

"Layla, the ray gun hit me as well," Warren began, "Will chose me as his 'mate' and he forced himself on me."

"What?" Layla gasped turning pale, "You…you mean he raped you?"

"Oh God," Will whispered turning as pale as his girlfriend.

"Layla, listen to me," Warren said urgently, "Yes. Will raped me, but not by his choice. Remember, I said that he doesn't remember anything. The first thing he thought of was you and how you would react when he found out what happened after the accident. This wasn't his fault."

"Why can't you walk?" Layla demanded.

"The first day, I fought against Will, but his strength surpassed my own, but by the second day the ray gun caused me to go into heat and my body instigated sexual relations without my control," Warren said looking away before whispering, "It was horrible. I had no control and Will took me again. I lost consciousness when he was done and woke here. The doctors have me numbed so that I can heal with as little amount of pain as possible."

"Oh my God," Layla gasped looking horrified.

"Please," Will said taking his girlfriends numb hand, "Believe that it wasn't me. I would never cheat on you! I love you so much and I have never felt anything more for Warren than a friend or brother. He doesn't blame me! Please Layla! Don't blame me for this. It wasn't Warren or my fault."

"Hush," Layla said looking up at her boyfriend, "I know that, but my God. This is a lot to take in."

"It gets worse," Warren said solemnly, "Mr. Medulla negated the effects in Will and I, but not before something else happened."

"What?" Layla asked fearfully.

"The ray gun made Will act on the need to procreate. I'm pregnant Layla," Warren said looking down again, "Will and I conceived a child on the second day and I have to carry the baby to term or I might die. Plus, you should know that I have already decided to keep my baby."

Layla looked shell-shocked and sat with her mouth hanging open. It didn't even look like she was breathing.

"Layla? Say something," Will begged.

"Warren's going to have a baby?" Layla squeaked out.

"Yes," Will answered.

"And you're the other parent of his child?" Layla squeaked out again.

"Yes Layla," Will answered her, "I have plans on helping Warren support the baby, but I don't want you to feel that I don't want our relationship equally as much."

"Oh my," Layla gasped out standing and beginning to pace, "Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. OH MY!"

"Layla!" Warren snapped as he snagged her arm on one of her passes, "Calm down. Everything is going to be fine."

"How is it going to be fine?" Layla snapped back, "My boyfriend had sex with his best friend and is expecting a baby! Everything is just fine! Peachy keen! Wonderful!"

"Stop it!" Warren growled seeing how upset Will was becoming, "Do you really think that Will and I wanted this? Look at Will! You know him better than I do! How does he look to you?"

"Devastated," Layla whispered.

"I never had any intentions of being the one to carry a child Layla," Warren snapped, "I always thought that one day I would marry and my wife would carry the baby. My whole life has been turned upside down and I have enough stress without carrying yours. Cut the dramatics out now!"

"Don't upset him," Will warned as he pulled his girlfriend gently out of Warren's grasp, "It's not good for the baby Layla."

"I'm sorry," Layla said plopping back down in her chair numbly, "This is just…how was this ever allowed to happen?"

"Let me explain what Mr. Medulla and Ms. Powers said," Will began and then told his girlfriend all about the two meetings and what had been discussed and decided on.

"So now safety precautions have been set into place so nothing else can happen to students? And Ms. Powers is going to tell the whole school that conception happened due to Will simply touching you?" Layla asked.

"Yes," Warren said, "I don't want anyone knowing about the rape than the people who already know and they have been sworn to secrecy. I'm embarrassed enough that I couldn't stop Will, but my father reassured me that I did everything I could in the situation."

"You certainly did," Layla said, "Unless you have equal super strength there is no fighting off Will or Mr. Stronghold. I'll keep your secret of how the baby was truly conceived. Why did the two of you decide to tell me the truth?"

"Because you deserve the truth," Will answered, "You would have known that Warren and I weren't being truthful with you and I want our relationship to be based on honesty. I hope you can still love me after this. I still plan on supporting Warren and the baby. Please understand that I am going to be a father now, but I love you more than anything."

"The fact that you are taking responsibility makes me very proud of you," Layla said hugging her boyfriend, "I love you for your honesty and nobility. This is something that we can deal with and I'll be there to support you. I promise."

"Thank you," Will breathed out as he crushed his girlfriend to him.

"Break it up," Warren huffed as the embrace turned into a kiss, ""I'm tired. Get out of my room."

"Okay," Layla said as she reached over and hugged the tired young man, "I'll be there for you too Warren. I'm going to stay the afternoon with Will. Can I come back and visit with you around dinner?"

"Fine," Warren grumbled, "But no smooching or overly fussy emotions. The last few days have been a little hectic. I want to take it easy for awhile."

"Can I ask one more question?" Layla asked.

"You already did, but I'll allow you one more," Warren said.

"Is the baby healthy?"

"Yes," Warren said smiling gently, "I heard the baby's heartbeat yesterday afternoon. The baby is fine. Now leave."

"Yes sir," Layla and Will said grinning as they left the room only to have the door open to admit his mother.

"Hey Imp," Maddie Peace teased, "Looks like everything went okay."

"Yeah," Warren agreed as he allowed his mother to tuck him in, "Layla took everything as well as to be expected in the situation. She's a pretty strong person. I knew that she would be fine, but I still think it will take sometime for everything to really sink in."

"Do you blame her?" Maddie asked her son.

"Nope," Warren said, "I'd have a hard time being able to deal with all of this as well. Hell! I still can hardly believe that this has happened."

"Amen," his mother said, "You look exhausted. I want you to go to sleep Imp."

"Since when have you started calling me 'Imp' again?" Warren asked sleepily.

"I never stopped," Maddie said as her son fell asleep, "You will always be my Imp."

To be continued…

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