AN: Yes, I did say this was only to be a one-shot, but the requests combined with some eager plot bunnies planted two more chapters in my head. So I can promise there will be a third chapter to this story. I can't promise there will be more, but should the plot bunnies work their magic again, then maybe there could be more. I will however mark the story as "Complete" once I post the third chapter.

"I can't believe you of all people are saying this!"

The first couple of days they had purposely avoided bringing the topic up around one another, each giving the other space to think things through. Now a week later, they still hadn't brought it up. At least not until Andrea showed up on his door step telling him she wanted an abortion.

At first Brandon was too stunned to speak, then he got angry. True, he wasn't exactly set on becoming a father at his age, but he had at least been under the impression that they were going to talk about their options before making any decision. The way she had said it made it sound like his opinion wouldn't weigh in one bit.

"Brandon," Andrea sighed, "you don't want the responsibility that comes with a baby any more than I do."

She still hadn't moved from her spot over by the front door, as if preparing to make a quick getaway.

"Maybe not, or maybe I do. Did it ever occur to you that I might not have made up my mind, yet?"

"We just started college," Andrea said desperately. "The timing couldn't have been worse."

"The timing is almost always bad," Brandon pointed out. "If everyone thought like you there would be a lot less people in the world."

"There's a difference between not fitting perfectly with your plans and possibly jeopardising your entire future."

"Who says this has to jeopardise anything?"

"Come on, Brandon. You know as well as I do that I can't study full-time, work on the side and raise a baby on top of it."

"The way you're talking you'd think I've abandoned you already." Brandon threw his hands up in frustration. "You wouldn't be alone."

"And where were you planning to fit a baby into your schedule?"

"I'm not planning anything!" Brandon cried out in frustration. "I simply want to have a say in what's supposed to be our decision."

She bit her lip and took a deep breath. Her voice merely a whisper, Andrea finally said. "Yet, when it comes down to it, it's my body..."

"Oh, that's great!"

"Brandon, I didn't mean it like..."

"You're unbelievable!" He began pacing the room, gesticulating wildly. "All those years I've known you. The whole time you've been all about equal opportunities, equal rights... Now you expect me to just step aside and get no say in a matter that concerns me just as much as it concerns you!?!"

Brandon was literally fuming.

"You think this is easy for me!?!" Andrea cried out. "Do you!?!"

He didn't know why, as he had seen her angry on more than a few occasions, but the force of it took him by surprise. His mouth remained open, but no reply came. He couldn't even form a simple 'umm'.

Andrea's voice still carried an edge to it when she spoke again, though this time at a more normal volume.

"I'm nineteen. I'm pre-med. My courseload is hard enough to manage when I'm just me. Add a baby into the mix and it spells out disaster. I can't even finish up a simple school paper because I am running to the bathroom at all hours. How am I even gonna make it nine months? What do I even have to offer a baby? I live on a scholarship for crying out loud..."

Her eyes were now glassy and she was blinking incessantly.

"This is something I have to do. And... and if you find you can't forgive me for my decision, then I..."

A tear trickled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away and lowered her head.

"I'll understand," she muttered almost inaudibly.

"Hey..."

Brandon's expression softened and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. He hadn't meant to lay all this guilt on her, or make her think she'd have to choose between her future and him. Now she was on the verge of crying and he felt just terrible.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," he whispered into her ear.

He was rewarded with a mixture between a sniffle and a laugh. Pulling back for a moment, he saw a hint of a smile on her tearful face. He placed a reassuring kiss on her forehead before again pulling her into a hug.