Hi!

Had a death in the family and then my job sent me to Europe. Had no time to write so there has been no update, but you already knew that.

No worries. I will be finishing the story.

So, on with the usual.

Don't own the characters.

Chapter 8

True to her word, Principal Powers met with the whole student body at a special assembly and explained the cover story of what had happened that fateful day in Mr. Medulla's class. To say the students were shocked was an understatement. Warren Peace was pregnant by Will Stronghold and was planning on keeping the baby? The school buzzed for days and tried demanding answers out of the one they thought would have all the answers, Layla. Since Will was allowed to return to school relatively quickly, due to not having any serious injuries or repercussions from the whole ordeal, he was able to field the "questioning regime" pretty well when the students pounced on him for more information upon his return. All in all, after a few days the shock factor died down and all the students and parents seemed to have accepted the pregnancy was due to no more than a lab accident and a mere touch. Will had assured everybody that "yes" he was still dating Layla, "no" he and Warren were not a couple now, and "yes" Warren was going to keep the baby, and "no" an accident like this would never happen again thanks to the new safeguards set up in the school.

Will was very glad that Warren had been stuck in the hospital and then home for the last few weeks. If Warren had been hit with the wave of curious students' questions? There may have been far fewer students attending Sky High right now. The only student that knew the whole story was Layla. Zach, Magenta, and Ethan had been told a slightly more detailed explanation without revealing the entire story and they had been sworn to secrecy. Will knew that the next few months were going to be very interesting indeed.

Warren had been allowed to regain feeling in his lower body after the doctor had deemed him healed enough. At first he had been a grouchy about his limited mobility, but soon he was walking around the hospital with little discomfort. Warren was released from the hospital two weeks after the whole incident with strict instructions on at least one week's worth of rest at home. Warren rested as he was instructed, thanks to a fierce Maddie Peace, and was now currently stepping off of the Sky High bus to start his school career again. All student eyes were on Warren as he stepped from the bus and already people had started talking behind their hands. Will couldn't be more nervous.

"Hey Warren. I'll take your bag," Will said as he hurried up to his glaring friend with the rest of the gang trailing behind him.

"Take my bag where?" Warren growled sending a puzzled look in Will's direction.

"Um…carry your bag to class so you don't s-strain yourself or the baby," Will stuttered softly as Warren's expression darkened.

"Stronghold. I can carry my own bag," Warren growled as he yanked Will forward by his shirt collar, "I don't need your help. I have already discussed with the doctor my limitations and I know what not to do. Don't start your damn hovering shit!"

With that Warren set Will free with a shove and stalked into the building.

"That went well," Magenta deadpanned.

"Hush," Layla snapped as she pulled Will up the school steps, "Don't worry Will. I'm sure all the students staring at Warren only made him tense up and get angry."

"He was right," Will sighed as the group entered the school, "I was hovering. I promised that I wouldn't treat him differently and the first time back at school I botch it all up."

"Warren is so used to that," Zach said with a laugh as all eyes turned towards him, "Oh. What a meant was that Warren is used to you always sticking your foot in your mouth or doing something wrong."

"Oh boy," Ethan groaned as he put his head into his hands.

"No! No! What I meant was that…Ow!" Zach began again before being interrupted.

"What he meant was that Warren is used to you making mistakes since you are human and once he calms down he'll be fine," Magenta said as after she smacked the glow-boy in the back of the head.

"Actually…I liked what Zach said the first time," a voice said from behind the group.

Everyone turned to see Warren leaning against the door jam. He shook his head at the group in apparent amusement.

"Warren, I'm so sorry. I…" Will began before Warren interrupted with a firm shake of his head.

"No. I'm sorry for being a crab," Warren said, "I have been nervous about coming back to school. I knew that the gossiping would start up, but it still shook me. I took my anger out on you, but I meant what I said the first time. No hovering."

"Okay," Will agreed with relief in his voice, "I won't hover. Just please don't overdo anything."

"I won't," Warren promised, "Look. I'll ask you when I need help, okay? And that goes for the rest of you, got it?"

"Yes sir!" the group said as they saluted as one.

"Comedians," Warren snapped as he walked to class.

"See that wasn't so bad," Layla said to Will as she and the others made to head to class.

"Yeah," Zach agreed, "Just wait until he starts having mood swings. Ow! Magenta stop slapping me in the head!"

"Let's go," Magenta grumbled as she and Ethan dragged Zach down the hall after Layla.

Will was pleasantly surprised at how the rest of the day went. The teachers and students greeted Warren warmly in all of his classes. He seemed to have a healthy appetite as he dug into the rather large packed lunch he had brought along with him.

"A little hungry?" Magenta asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Bite me," Warren said with a smirk, "The doctor gave me a strict diet to go by now that I'm eating for two and my mom packed the lunch. I am now thinking healthy."

"Sure," Ethan laughed as he pulled a package of doughnuts out of Warren's lunch.

"Give me that," Warren snapped as he snatched his treats out of Ethan's hand, "I said that I'm thinking healthy, the baby's thinking doughnuts."

The group all got a good laugh and even Warren cracked a full-blown smile for a moment. Will almost felt like things were getting back to some form of normalcy. Warren even surprised everyone by answering the questions of the few students that were brave enough to approach him about the baby.

"Wow," Will said as a student moved away after having her question answered about how Warren felt about the accident in gym later that day, "I thought that you would toast anybody that dared to breathe a word about the baby."

"I can't just think about me anymore Will," Warren explained, "If I treat this situation negatively, then everybody will continue to gossip and think negatively about the baby. I won't allow my child to suffer any emotional repercussions from his or her conception if I can help it. If I answer the questions then everybody will hopefully begin to see this as a little more 'normal' and maybe even let it go so that it doesn't get brought up again."

"What about the people that don't?" Will asked.

"I'll deal with them," Warren said, "I won't let people hurt my child the way they hurt me when I was little. I won't allow it!"

"We won't allow it," Will added.

"What are you going to do?" Warren asked with a smirk, "Punch them through a wall?"

"If I have to," Will growled.

"Don't," Warren warned, "I'll deal with the ones that continue to be ignorant on my own terms. I won't allow anybody to make the life of my future child any harder than it has to be Will. Don't borrow trouble."

"I won't," Will sighed, "I only want what's best for you and the baby."

"I know," Warren said, "But remember that I make my own decisions and I will decide what's best for me and the baby."

"Don't I have a say?" Will asked.

"Yes," Warren agreed, "But I will make the final decision. Now get down there. Your up for 'Save the Citizen.'"

"Won't be the same without my partner. I can't believe the doctor won't let you participate in gym," Will pouted as he stood to head down the bleachers.

"I don't think being slammed into things would be good for the baby and you'll live," Warren teased as Zach, Ethan, and Magenta came over to sit beside him, "Layla is going to be your partner. You two will be great Twinkle Toes."

"Whatever. Hot Head," Will teased back.

Warren leaned back and watched Will and Layla successfully save citizen after citizen as the rest of the school cheered them on. His mother was anxiously waiting to greet him after school.

"Hello, Imp. How was school?" his mother tried to ask casually.

"I'm fine Mom," Warren assured his mother, "School was fine. No worries."

"One day down," he thought to himself as his mom bustled around to get dinner ready, "I can do this."

To be continued…