"Hey Mike, see ya," Coreen scooted back to the outer office in record time.

Vicki moved behind her desk and did her best to look busy.

Mike narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, "Tell Mike what Vic?" he asked suspiciously.

Vicki eyed him, gestured for him to sit and then sighed, "There's no easy way, so I'll just say it," she threw her hands up, "I'm pregnant."

Mike blinked, leaned forward, frowned then said, "Huh?"

"That's right, you heard me correctly," she raised her eyebrows.

"Pregnant?," Mike repeated again.

Mike pulled himself together and asked the obvious, "By whom?"

Vicki narrowed her eyes, "Who do you think?"

Mike threw his head back and laughed, "Captain Freak? No damn way! That's humanly or should I say inhumanly impossible."

"Clearly," Vicki rubbed her still flat stomach, "it isn't."

Mike harrumphed and sat down, "So you'll have a kid with him and not me, that's about right." Mike shook his head and sighed in frustration.

"Mike, it's your fault," Vicki offered.

Mike frowned, "How the fuck is it my fault?"

Vicki explained her theory and when she finished, Mike responded with a thoughtful, "huh" and nothing more.

"Mike," Vicki snapped her fingers, "Mike, helllooo…??"

"Huh? Sorry Vic, it's just," Mike searched for a word but Vicki blurted out, "bizarre?" before he could say anything more.

"You could say that."

Coreen re-entered the room cautiously, "Is it safe?"

"For now," Vicki shot back.

"Is there a reason you popped in Mike?" Vicki finally asked after a deafening silence.

"Yes, actually, I did," Mike pulled out a photo, "have you seen this young girl?"

Vicki looked the photo over and shook her head, "No. Why?"

"You don't need to worry, this is not a freaky deaky case," Mike smiled and cocked his head to one side as she shoved the picture back into his overcoat.

"Aw, come on, are ya kiddin' me?" Vicki tsked.

"Nope, I'm not. Besides, Crowely will have my ass if I involve you, simple runaway nothing more," Mike stood to leave. Vicki wondered what he truly thought of her being pregnant but knew he would never tell her directly.

Mike started to leave then turned back, "I guess congrats are in order," he smiled weakly.

"Thanks," Vicki muttered in return. She could see the sadness and sorrow in his eyes by the slump of his shoulders and the way his smile seemed to be set in a firm line.

"Mike, this wasn't planned you know," Vicki said softly.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed. Coreen's eyes misted with tears, she felt his pain and knew Vicki was torn between sorrow and happiness.

After the door clicked behind him, Mike let out a silent shudder and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. He refused to be heartbroken but sometimes, that simply isn't possible.

**

Eve took in a quick surveillance of Jessica's room.

"Hmm..you definitely have possibilities, decorate this yourself?" Eve asked. Jessica nodded but said nothing. She watched this new 'friend' with wary eyes.

Jessica's room was painted a pale pink, her bedspread and curtains were lime green, pink and a very light purple. The room was essentially extremely effeminate, nothing at all Goth-like.

"So, why the get up? I mean, you clearly have female tendencies, why Goth it up? What are you hiding from?" Eve asked while twirling a fuzzy lime green pillow in her hands.

"I…I.." Jessica darted her eyes away from Eve, "I don't know really." She flopped on her bed and sighed loudly.

"Well then, make over time huh?" Eve smiled brightly.

"No, I don't want to," Jessica pouted. Eve stood firm, put her hands on her hips and asked why not.

"Because, when you're different, you don't get hurt," Jessica said softly. Eve sat beside her on the bed.

"What do you mean you don't get hurt, what's that mean exactly?"

"If you are in the little cliques, if you follow the norm, people expect things of you, they want you to act and be a certain way. Like this," she motioned to her dark clothing and makeup, "no one expects anything but being strange. They stay away."

"But, don't you want Justin to like you?" Eve asked knowingly.

"Well..yeah but if he doesn't expect much, he won't be disappointed and I won't be heartbroken," Jessica tried to reason with herself as well as Eve.

Eve threw her head back and laughed, "Honey, that so does not make sense. Come on, let's get this party started."

Jessica scowled at Eve but for some reason, she couldn't seem to resist the pull of her personality.

"Fine, whatever," Jessica gave in. In less than an hour, Eve had performed nothing short of a miracle. She stepped away from Jessica and smiled.

"There, take a look girly," Jessica said proudly. Jessica's eyes were squeezed tightly but she managed to open them enough to get a quick peek. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

"Wow..wow.." was all she managed.

"Wow is right!" Eve said with a nod.

Jessica was admiring herself in the mirror when her door flung open and there stood her grandmother in a total rage.

"What the fuck is going on here??"

Eve decided there would be hell to pay…