LDGTS: The Story Ch. 1

Giving Taylor a look that only promised bad things in her future, Lisa steepled her fingers and looked over them in a way that had yet to fail in making Taylor squirm. “You got me pregnant.”

“Well,” Taylor started slowly, “isn’t it more like we got you—”

“You got me pregnant,” Lisa cut Taylor off before the brunette went for the compromise. There was no compromise here, and Lisa was quite happy to keep the blame exactly where it belonged. Taylor was the one with the dangly bits. Nothing more needed to be said. “I’m on the pill. I took Plan B. There’s been more water inside me than some water parks...and they all did nothing.”

Taylor shrank back at that, her face pale as she took a sip of her tea and said nothing.

“It’s been almost a month,” Lisa said casually. “A month since you destroyed my bed, ruined my carpet and left my room smelling like the unwashed set of a Japanese bukkake video. Those are all going to your tab.” Lisa paused with a faux thoughtful look. “And I’m not sure if that last one is ever coming out without something a lot stronger than bleach, so have fun with that.”

Lisa would.

“A-Are you sure?” Taylor coughed. “It could be a false-positive, right?”

Lisa didn’t need a lie detector to know that was false hope.

“I’m sure,” Lisa responded sourly. “I’ve been throwing up in the morning, every morning, for the last week like clockwork.”

Taylor cringed, the vaguely hopeful look on her face falling. “Stomach bug?” But obviously not gone.

“I’ve missed my period,” Lisa sighed and put her hands over her eyes. She was so tired. “And I’ve got a big ol’ blank spot in my gut that my power refuses to acknowledge in any way, shape, or form. That’s enough for me.”

Taylor sputtered into her tea, dropped the cup in her hand to the floor in a way that caused it to break all over the carpet, and started to wheeze even as color started to rise in her cheeks.

“Congrats, Taylor.” Lisa sighed again, deep and long. “It's a girl.”

Taylor continued to drown on dry land. At this moment, Lisa found that she couldn’t bring herself to care.

“And what the fuck are we going to do about it, huh?” Lisa threw her hands helplessly up into the air. “Did you know there’s an APB out on the gene markers that make you what you are? An instant PRT crackdown order?”

Someone was scared. Terrified almost beyond sensibility by what Lustrum had done. Or just what she had planned…Looking at Taylor right now, Lisa couldn’t see what threat she could realistically pose that needed something like that.

“... Yeah.” Taylor whispered. Made yet another heavy, wracking cough that made Lisa’s own lungs hurt in sympathy. “Had to get my checkups from a former Lustrum believer when I was little. She died of old age and...I’ve just been sliding by on my enhanced immune system for the last five years. It hasn’t been easy.”

And there went one of Lisa’s only chances. Gone of old age. Just fantastic.

“And it’s not like I can just—” Lisa grimaced. The thought of what she was about to say bothered her. Deeply. Physically, emotionally. In ways that she couldn’t be sure was just her or what Taylor had done to her… Either way, it didn’t sit right. “—visit the Chop Shop to get this dealt with.” Lisa felt ill just for having said it. “For reasons.”

Taylor’s face twisted up at that, turning in ways with emotions that would have made Lisa nervous—Not scared. Never scared—if she hadn’t been so angry herself. When Taylor’s face finally went flat, the conga line of negativity that had crossed her face finally over…Lisa couldn’t help but sigh in relief and loosen her shoulders. 

“I...don’t think that would be a good idea either,” Taylor answered quietly, obviously struggling with herself to not say something that would probably end in a giant screaming match and broken friendships. “Let’s take our time to think this through—”

Lisa snorted, then regretted it as she felt the urge to cry follow on its heels. Hormonal effects, mixed with actual stress. Lots of actual stress if she was being honest...but she felt better about things too, if only slightly.

“—and find some alternatives to abortion.”

Taylor, even when under a fuckload of programming that made her almost vehemently opposed to the thought of losing out on the chance at reproduction, programming that Lisa had never even known existed, was still Taylor. She wasn’t going to let something as ‘small’ as a near overwhelming biological need completely control her.

“Like...having the child.” Taylor cracked a grin, her eyes unfocusing for a moment before they refocused in an almost eerie stare. “I wouldn’t mind it, having one with you...or five...” Taylor trailed off wistfully.

Lisa scooted closer to the table, breaking Taylor’s line of sight at her stomach. The somewhat disquieting, but flattering, hungry stare Lisa had been getting up to that point also broke, ending with Taylor giving her a shaky smile before she looked up at the ceiling. It was nice to feel wanted but you had to put your foot down eventually.

It didn’t control Taylor completely, but it did have quite a bit of sway. Lisa couldn’t forget that when she dealt with Taylor, no matter how utterly adorable she was when she played with her hair in the morning. Or how loving she’d been the first—and so far only because she liked having the ability to walk on-demand—time they’d had sex. Or how cute she looked whenever she thought about having a family and...and… Fuck.

It looked like she’d have to watch herself as well.

Lisa groaned as her head hit the table with a loud thunk. Taylor made soothing, meaningless noises that Lisa just let wash over her without comment. She then mentally filed away the fact that those noises were actually pretty relaxing for later perusal on just how deep Taylor’s changes ran beyond the obvious before she thunked her head against the table again.

She was eighteen years old. Eighteen years old. Not thirty, or forty, or whatever age you had to be to have your biological clock start ticking...she was too young for this shit and now she wanted to cry again...because of the hormones. No other reason.

Current hormone levels are not nearly high enough to—And there went the self-deception. God damn it.

“My parents might have saved my crib from when I was younger.”

Lisa tilted her head up and started to stare.

“They also saved my baby clothes. My toys. My stroller... They didn’t save my car seat but I think that was because of the safety recall.  My playpen.” As Taylor started listing the baby supplies that her parents had squirreled away, Lisa slowly came to a realization. A conclusion. An epiphany even.

This had been expected. This had been planned for. Taylor’s parents had assumed that this was going to be an issue. That Taylor would have impregnated or been impregnated by someone at a young age... And they had been right.

“And my dad still has that warehouse supplies card, so we’ve got an effectively unlimited supply of diapers—”

Lisa felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on edge as she hunched in on herself. Even as a tiny part of herself told her she was most likely overreacting, she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t help but connect what was currently happening to a conspiracy. The fact that her powers didn’t help her in the slightest when it came to confirming or denying didn’t help at all. Hell, she could feel the spiral coming on.

“—also, I know a really nice place that does maternity dresses, and if we went now we could probably get something nice—”

Lustrum. Taylor’s Parents.Taylor! One giant conspiracy decades in the making to get her—or any woman really, but it didn’t make her feel quite as special—pregnant! Teenage pregnant even!

Someone had to pay—

So it was to Taylor’s great surprise—just as planned—when Lisa vaulted the table and tackled her out of her chair with halfway serious murderous intent. All while the brunette was in the middle of talking about how her parents never did convert her old nursery, even when she moved into her own room.

—and Taylor was overdue on her deposit.

“Lisa what are you doing!?” Taylor flailed helplessly about as Lisa wrapped her fingers around her throat and began to squeeze. Finding there was almost no give involved just made Lisa try harder. Stupid minor Brute ratings! “Stop!” If the strangulation didn’t work, maybe the whiplash would. “This is really uncomfortable!”

“YOU’RE WHY I’M GOING TO GET FAT!” Lisa started kicking her legs as Taylor tried to lift her off and failed. Lisa’s hold around her neck needed a crowbar and a bucket of butter to remove. “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!” Lisa shrieked. Taylor just continued to ineffectually push her away, causing Lisa’s own ineffectual actions to drive her into a near-mindless rage. It was a vicious cycle, one from which there was no escape beyond death or chocolate. “I’LL KILL YOU!”

“It’s getting hard to talk!”

“STOP BREATHING!”

Lisa on tangentially noticed when Alec walked into the common room, paused, and then walked back out. Lisa honestly couldn’t give a damn that she had a witness right then. She could deal with him later...because holy fuck was Taylor taking forever to run out of air. What was her throat made of? Rocks?

“Stop trying to kill me!” Taylor gurgled.

When Lisa’s hands started to get tired... When she started to feel sweaty and out of breath...she found the strength to go on, harder than before, when Taylor popped an erection directly underneath her. The fact that it was most likely just a biological response to light asphyxiation didn’t matter in the slightest. Her retribution was at hand and it would not be denied! This was her right as an angry pregnant woman damn it!

The sound of running footsteps drew the attention of both of them, resulting in Lisa and Taylor turning their heads towards the doorway even as Lisa continued her current attempt at murder. Brian, Alec, Rachel. The gang was all here, all with varying levels of concern. Brian was obvious, Alec was openly amused, and Rachel plainly didn’t care.

In other words, they all acted exactly how Lisa thought they would have when they caught one of their team in the middle of an honest attempt at killing another member...and then Taylor’s erection slid out of the leg of her shorts and the scenario went out the window.

Nothing ever lasted like it should around Taylor.

“That’s a penis,” Brian said, horrified as Lisa started banging Taylor’s head against the floor. Sadly, Lisa knew that, at most, Taylor was just getting horrifically dizzy...but it was the thought that counted. “When did Taylor get a penis?”

“I always wondered why the dork had a water noodle shaped blackhole stuffed down the front of her pants,” Alec mused. “You learn something new every day.”

Rachel just walked past the whole thing, frown on her face, and poured herself a bowl of cereal without a word. At least someone was following the script.

“Okay. That’s enough of that.” Brian sighed before he got his arms around Lisa’s middle and began to pull. “You already know that isn’t doing anything.”

“I DON’T CARE!”

The screaming after Brian tried to pull Lisa off of Taylor might have been considered legendary if you looked at it the right way…

Brian shrieked as Lisa’s teeth found purchase in the meat of his forearm.

She’d never heard Brian scream like that for one. Neither had anyone else... So, legendary.

==========

“So,” Brian began stiffly, his gaze flat as he glared at the two girls across from him while he wrapped his arm in the first layer of gauze. Lisa hadn’t been in her right mind at the time...and neither had she been gentle. “What do we say to each other after something like this?”

Lisa kicked her legs and looked at the ceiling as heat rose to her face. “This is stupid…”

“As stupid as…” Brian flapped a hand in their general direction. “Whatever this is?”

“... Point,” Lisa admitted quietly, “but I really don’t think—”

“This is whole new territory for me, alright? I didn’t think I’d ever have to deal with one of my crew getting another of them pregnant.” Brian gave himself another layer of gauze. “Just humor me. Please.”

Taylor forced her face deeper into the pillow she’d found. She must have been mortified… Lisa knew she was.

“Fine,” Lisa sighed. “Taylor...I’m sorry that I tried to strangle/beat you to death. I didn’t mean it.” Like hell, she didn’t. It may have been a bad idea—she saw that now—but she’d tried, really, really hard.

Brian nodded, knowing that Lisa didn’t mean it either but willing to let it go for the moment, then turned towards Taylor. “Now you.”

The brunette picked her head out of the pillow, a now near permanent indentation of her face now in it, to give him a nervous look.

“Go on.”

“... I—okay.” Taylor rolled over onto her front to face Lisa directly, with her pillow held out in front of her like a somewhat fluffy, if old, shield. “Alright...I’m sorry that I got you pregnant—”

Lisa’s jaw dropped a little at that. Not at the words, but the tone. Just like Lisa had lied about not meaning it when she’d tried for a case of murder in the second degree, Taylor was lying about being sorry… Even if it wasn’t on purpose it was pushing the hell out of Lisa’s buttons.

“—and that my neck is reinforced against most forms of trauma. Also...” Taylor’s face and voice went flat just before her right eye started sporadically twitching. It was kinda creepy...and judging by the look on Brian’s face, he agreed. “I’m sorry...that I didn’t give all the options you realistically had before I went straight to making a family with you.”

“... Thank you,” Lisa replied, her voice small as, despite herself, her chest suddenly felt a great deal tighter. That had, once you got past the delivery it had been presented with, actually been sort of sweet. Stupid Crawler-lite, making her all sappy... “Is that all?”

“No.” Taylor quickly shook her head, licked her lips...and now her hands were shaking. “I have someone you need to talk to.”

Alec continued to eat popcorn...up until Lisa smacked it out of his hands. 

It made her feel better.