Author's Note...

Well, chapter 23 is up. Finally. Thanks to reviewers for being loyal and encouraging. Thanks to Annie for helping me out.
I see no point in talking. I'll let you read.

My world was on its side. I thought that all Luthors were evil. I thought Jason was just a random guy at a gas station. But all that had been turned on its side in the time span of a half-hour, and I was left to fall hard into a new reality. It was hard to believe that there was a good Luthor, even harder to grasp that the nice guy I had met a day earlier was working for—no, with—Lex. As were many other freaks like him. Mind-boggling revelations, I tell you.

But that wasn't my biggest worry at the moment; no that honor had been saved for the decision that my parents had made about the baby. That was a make-or-break-my-life kind of decision. If they let me get an abortion, everything would go smoothly, but if they banned it, I had to plan out a way to secretly get rid of the thing. Needless to say, I was beyond nervous and into the realm of nauseous, even as I parked the car and Jason a few blocks away from my house and walked the rest of the way.

Once inside, I was so uneasy that I couldn't sit down like I had wanted to. Mom walked in to find me pacing and wearing a hole in the carpet. I forced a grin. "Hi, Mom. How was work?"

She hugged me. "Work is work. I'd much rather have stayed home to be with you. Were you alright alone in this house?" She thought I was afraid to be alone? No, that was silly. I was perfectly comfortable with being alone, just not alone with a Luthor. Not to mention that I hadn't really been home today.

"No, I was fine. Is Dad coming home soon? I really want to get this discussion over with."

Mom sighed and shook her head. "He called and said that something came up at work. But we both know how he is about these touchy family talks."

"So you're saying that he just made an excuse?" I asked. Not that I minded; I'd rather not face Dad about the whole rape thing quite yet; he needed time to cool down.

"Yes," my mom answered simply.

"You told him everything, didn't you? How did he take it?"

Mom sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her, indicating for me to follow suit. "Not too well, but he's better now."

"I knew it," I muttered, disgruntled. "Just knew he would freak. Did you guys decide? On the baby, I mean." Baby. Why was that word still so hard to say? Because it wasn't a baby.

Demon? Maybe.

Adorable human offspring? No.

My mom inhaled deeply, like she was about to say something very difficult. This alone was enough reason to have me worried. Was she concerned about upsetting me or going against her morals? I bounced my legs up and down to release the nervous energy. "This was a tough call. Your father and I had to consider our convictions and your emotional well-being at the same time."

"And...?" What was Mom thinking? That our discussion was the finale of American Idol? And we'll announce the winner… after the next five breaks! [Insert applause, followed by a commercial for Coca-Cola.] Suspense could almost be felt in the air, and my stomach began to churn. I so needed a break from stressful situations. Yeah right, as if that would happen anytime soon. My life was one stressful situation after another.

Mom massaged her forehead, staying silent for a moment. For being a mom under pressure, she had a pretty good poker face. Once again, American Idol came to mind. And this season's winner is… [Insert drum roll.] "Your father and I talked very long and hard about this. While we realize that the pregnancy is not your fault, it isn't the baby's fault, either. We can't be fair to either of you at the same time in this situation." Then my mom paused, a twisted, pained expression growing on her face as if she didn't like what she was about to say.

Beyond nervous, I had to prompt her, "So that means what?" This could go either way, fifty-fifty chance. Daughter vs. Morals. A dull ache developed in my head, probably from too much thinking and worrying.

"We've decided to let you do what you think is best." She didn't look any more relaxed now that it was said.

"Really?" I asked, wondering if she meant it.

"Yes, really."

The reality of it didn't set in for a moment. I could do what I wanted? Then I felt so much better, so relieved. Even bubbly. I was free! I could get rid of the thing and put it all in the past. I hugged my mom and said, "Thanks, Mommy!" Which was not something I usually did, and I'm sure Mom realized that.

"I expect you to do the right thing," she replied, hugging me back.

Of course I would do the right thing, for me. It was impressive that she trusted me enough to make my own decisions: I wasn't a brainless dependant anymore. I can do what I want. The phrase was freeing. I wouldn't have to worry about what people thought as I walked through the school hallways, as fat as Mr. Goshen. Happiness made me feel like I could float because one complication in my life would soon be gone. To ruin my happy moment, the phone in my pocket vibrated. Stupid texts.

Mom smiled and stood. "I'll let you get that." Then she was off to the kitchen to start dinner.

I nodded and flipped open the phone to read the message from, of all people, John. Party at Brooke's. Come if u wanna keep IT a secret. U got 10 minutes 2 b here. I couldn't help myself and laughed out loud. I couldn't care less anymore. Why had I ever cared? When I came back to school in January and never inflated to look like a blimp, they'd all label John as a liar, a pathetic ex trying to get back at the girl who broke his heart. Ha! I didn't have to care anymore, didn't have to rush to find the car keys and speed to Brooke's before time was up. All that was required of me was to sit here and feel amazing until Midnight Mass. A brief thought flitted through my mind: did Jason go to mass on Christmas?

"Oh!" I exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. Poor Jason was probably freezing his butt off outside. "Mom?" I called loudly.

"Yes?" she asked from the kitchen.

"Can I go out for a little bit? I want to drive around."

She hesitated, probably wondering why her daughter would want to go out. She must have decided that it couldn't do any harm, because she replied, "I suppose. Stay in town, and be back by six, okay?"

"Thanks!" I grabbed my coat, and sprinted back to the car where Jason was shivering. At least his lips weren't blue yet. "Sorry I took so long!" I apologized, still giggling about John as I started the car.

"I'm fine," he replied. Jason paused for a second, a look of confusion washing over his face. "You're…happy," he said slowly, as if trying to process what he was saying.

"Wow, shocking revelation," I commented, laughing. "Of course I'm happy."

"And panicked at the same time? Why? What's wrong? I'm not bothering you, am I?"

That stopped my laughter short. "I'm not panicking," I replied, equally confused. Why, do I look like it?

"No, your thoughts just have a fearful tone to them. What happened?"

My brow knitted together as I tried to figure out what exactly would make him believe I was scared but came up empty. My headache increased in intensity, though. Nothing happened. I'm really in a good mood; even John couldn't spoil it.

"That's weird," he muttered to himself, leaning closer to me as if trying to hear better. "How would John have ruined it?"

I sighed. Long story.

"We've got time." Jason shrugged, still leaning close to me as if I were whispering a secret. Probably trying to listen to…whatever. I felt my body lean away from him without command. To my relief, he didn't question the motion. "Turn left here."

After a moment's hestitation, I ran through my encounter with him yesterday. He wants to blackmail me about being pregnant. But soon, everyone will be calling him a liar. I couldn't help but giggle.

Jason heard the thought behind it, the one about my parents letting me do what I wanted. "You sure you're not panicked?"

Positive! Why do you keep coming back to that?

"It has a different voice than you do," he commented, ignoring me.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. Jason was ruining my temporary good mood. Soon, I'd dive back into the depths of depression, worrying my head off about the Luthor Christmas Party or something. Great, even that fleeting thought made my stomach churn. Stupid hormonal mood swings.

Jason continued with his running commentary. "Now you're worried, but the other voice is still there. It hasn't faded since we've driven, so that means it's probably in the car. In fact,"—he leaned in my direction again—"I think it's coming from you."

"What are you saying?" I took my eyes off of the road to glare at him. I had a guess, but I didn't want to ruin my temporary high by entertaining the thought. And Jason didn't need to get any ideas, either.

He hesitated for a moment, as though evaluating the likeliness that I would explode if he told. Then said carefully, "I think it's the baby. She knows that something's wrong."

My foot pressed the accelerator a bit harder as my anger and disbelief grew. "Excuse me?" I knew what he said, but it just didn't make sense. It's, like, not even three months; it can't be thinking yet, can it?

"Not coherently. She doesn't know words, but emotions are human instinct. She picked up on yours and knew that something was wrong."

"She!?" Okay, I was mad now. This changed, no, complicated the situation; if the thing was thinking now, how could I deny that she was living? And an abortion would…kill her. The "conscience" would come back to bother me about this one and would never leave me alone. "How do I know you aren't just making this up?"

"Why would I make this up?"

I don't know! You tell me. Having it inside of me, being scared because it knew something had to be wrong, was a mind-shattering revelation. I wished this wasn't true; now I actually had to give some thought to the issue.

How far along was has my brother been when Mom had the abortion? Had he known that something was wrong? I shuddered at the thought of my brother, frightened and unable to scream, being destroyed because Mom simply thought of him as a mistake. An abortion wasn't just me and the thing anymore;it was me and a scared little child. What did she look like? What would she look like in ten years? I hope that she doesn't have icy-blue eyes. Blue is recessive, but my dad has blue eyes, so there is a chance…

"So it's a girl?" I asked hesitantly. This changed everything.

"Yep." In the dead silence that followed, Jason shifted uncomfortably. "You know, this is kind of not a conversation I want to have with you."

"Yeah. How long have we known each other?"

"Two days," he answered.

Dang! Here I am, spilling all my thoughts to you. "Let's not talk about this anymore."

"Totally." He easily came up with a different topic. "Lex wanted me to answer any questions you had about the party."

The party? I was so worried about that. He shouldn't have brought it up, but it was too late now. Here came the despair, washing over me in a tidal wave of worry. The mere thought of Friday scared me. "Who will be there?"

He must have ignored my worry. "Lots of rich people. I'm not sure of a head count. Hopefully a thousand, but probably more around two hundred."

"Why do you want so many people there?" The less, the better.

"So that more people know that Lionel Luthor is a criminal. I'm not entirely sure how the world has turned a blind eye to him for so long, but I'll make sure that they can't ignore his crimes anymore."

"You'll make sure?" Isn't that being a little full of yourself?

"I'm the one making the accusation at the party." A huge smile spread across his face. "A toast to the infamous Lionel Luthor for somehow covering three deaths and ruining the lives of twenty others." He raised a hand as if there was a glass in it. "I'll drink to that. The other Witnesses will, too. And FBI agents will cuff him to haul him off to the slammer. Oh, what wouldn't I give to see the look on his face?"

I was shocked; Jason didn't seem like the kind of person for revenge, but by the way he laughed, he was looking forward to the evening a bit too much. What wouldn't I give to not see that face? "Ignore that thought," I ordered, catching myself from thinking anything else. "Do I turn at this street?"

"Nope, turn on Sayour. It's still a mile up the road." A pause as he fished for a new topic. "And Lex told you how to dress?"

I nodded. "Formal, like prom I guess. I'm not sure how I'll get the money to buy a dress, but maybe I can borrow some from my parents or something." Though I'm not sure how I'll pay them back. "And he said I had to look innocent." I don't completely understand why.

"Don't worry, he told that to all of us. It cranks up the 'how awful!' factor if we look more like victims. Aiming for young and innocent will make the guests give us more sympathy. And if that happens, they'll remember us longer." I glanced over just in time to see Jason roll his eyes. I guess he wasn't too excited about looking like a vulnerable child, which I understood. He wasn't necessarily a tough guy, but he wasn't a wimp, either. On the other hand, that look was all too easy for me to pull of. "But I might be able to spot you for money or find someone who will. I'll bet Nuria would if she met you. Hey, we've got a few extra minutes once we get to the mansion. Wanna come meet her and some other Witnesses?"

He sounded eager, so I felt guilty about turning him down. "Okay, sure. What's Nuria's power?" Actually, what are all their powers?

He laughed happily. "There are so many of us, you won't be able to keep them straight. But since you asked, Nuria has laser vision, so don't get her mad. You already know what Luke does. Elle creates optical illusions; she could make you look like an office chair if she wanted to. Camille blends in with her surroundings. Nate has super strength. Zoe can turn into any animal, so she can sometimes fly. Kyra can do anything that she sees someone else do, but don't get her confused with Kara. They hate that. Kara absorbs and releases any kind of energy. Andre can survive without oxygen for days, which explains how he was literally able to swim here from Cuba. Corben just flies, not very far, but he can fly. Little Sam can control the weather for a few minutes at a time. Austin and Ann remember perfectly everything they see and explain it to you in detail. Mark has super-speed. Matthew has to have the coolest one, though. He can create any inanimate object out of nothing. Can't make living things, but if he wants a bicycle, he just looks at an empty space and it appears. The only downside is that he has to know how to construct it before it's created, otherwise, it won't work."

He was right: I wouldn't remember any of these in a minute. Matthew did have a cool power though. But this brought up a question. "If all of you had these abilities, why didn't you break out of the labs?"

"This is what no one understands: we have weaknesses and limitations. Luthor must have been watching us for a while to determine them and make sure that we wouldn't be able to escape." He pointed at the road that was coming up. "Turn right here."

I obeyed. "Figures that he'd everything planned out ahead of time." I shuddered. Would it be impolite for me to ask your weakness?

"Kind of, but that's okay because you already know it: distance."

"That's it? No special substance that kills you?" This was kind of a let down; even Warrior Angel had a crippling weakness. Not that I remembered what it was, but my dad probably did.

"Well, nothing unique. What kills normal people also kills me. My power isn't dangerous enough to have a special weakness."

How about the others?

"Some do have special weaknesses, yes. But they'd kill me if I told you because that's the one weapon against them, you know. It's against our Army code to tell anyone our weaknesses unless it's already known."

I see your point, but that's kind of weird.

My mind kept floating back to the worried little girl inside of me. It wasn't her fault that she was the devil's child. She had never tried to cause me harm or make life difficult. She simply was struggling to exist, trying to survive. I hadn't been helping her win that fight, but maybe I had every right to act the way I did.

Or no right at all.

It's my body and my choice because it wasn't my fault, one half of me said.

But it's her life, another side of me countered. It's not up to me to play God and chose who lives or dies.

Snake Conscience remained silent. I was then brought back to reality by Jason coughing. How much had he just heard? Everything? How much had I let slip without even realizing it? "We need a new topic," I commented, glancing nervously in his direction.

He showed no sign that he had heard anything. Well, at least it was nice of him to pretend. "Lex told you about the schedule for the evening, right?"

"Yeah. Guests start arriving at seven, so the Freak Army plus Katie need to gather at six to go over the finalized plans."

"Yep. I think that might be everything you need to know right now. Good timing; we're at Luthor HQ."

I stopped the car at a big iron gate where a uniformed guard was posted. He walked up to the car and was about to ask my business when he saw Jason. He turned quickly and opened the gate for us without a word. "So they know you pretty well here?"

"Yep," Jason grinned. "It's because I'm always here for training." The car traveled down the long driveway to the mansion. "Ready to go meet the rest of the FA?"

I hoped that meant Freak Army. "Sure. I've got ten minutes before I have to head back, so make introductions quick," I replied as I threw the Honda into parking gear.

He stepped out of the car. "Well, let's go."

Yay! We get to meet the Freak Army now! :) Hm...review.