Thundergirl wandered into the living room.  "Hey, mind if I sit?" 

Kelly looked up and nodded vaguely. 

"They're going on about family stuff, I didn't really think they wanted me hanging around.  How are you doing?" 

Kelly shrugged, and looked at Thundergirl again.  Thundergirl touched her head absently, and Kelly spotted something silvery in her hair. 

"What's that?" 

Thundergirl turned pink, and laughed.  "It's called a Halo.  Cero,one of our old teammates, invented it.  It blocks --" she tapped her head.  "Mental attacks.  Telepathy." 

Kelly narrowed her eyes.  "Why are you so worried about Telepathy?"  Thundergirl touched the Halo again, and stared at Kelly. 

Kelly smiled a very small smile and shook her head.  "If I'd been inside your head, I wouldn't have had to ask.  Don't worry.  I used to do that all the time, when I first became a nova, just go in people's heads when I wanted to know something.  It seemed easier than asking.  I'm tired of it.  Our powers have caused a lot of problems between us; I think everyone who said we were too young was probably right."  Kelly was silent a moment.  "But it's pretty obvious you're nervous around me.  Why?" 

Thundergirl sighed.  "It was a long time ago.  I wasn't very popular in school,so my first -- well, sort of relationship was after I erupted.  I went on a couple dates with this other nova, then we had a party and got drunk off nova beer, and I ended up having sex with this guy.  It wasn't a very good experience for me, and at the time there was a lot I didn't really know or understand.  I mean, it was my first time, my first relationship,and we were both pretty drunk. 

"So, anyway, I decided to try both sides, just in case the lousy experience was due to orientation.  I wasn't sure, then.  So, the next person I sorta dated was a suspected Terragen member who was an excellent Telepath.  She brainwashed me to pass information and to kill my teammates if they started to suspect, which of course they did." 

"What happened?" 

"Well, there was only one of me and a lot of them; they made some educated guesses and good plans, and I'm not much of a fighter.  So, they ambushed me so I couldn't be sneaky, and they tried to figure out what was up.  As soon as I started losing, I followed my -- programming -- and went to her." 

"What then?" 

"We arrested her. Later, we were interrogating her, and I asked a question about some deep Terragen secrets, and she had some kind of programming in place so she started foaming at the mouth, and she ended up a vegetable.  She died later. 

"My team -- well, they said they didn't blame me, I was brainwashed, etc., but -- well, I have a history of making bad decisions." 

The two were silent for a moment, then Thundergirl looked at Kelly.  "So, how are you?" 

Kelly shrugged, then sighed.  "I just don't know what to do.  We're too young to marry and raise kids, he thinks it'll be a breeze, but I want him to do the soccer thing, and having a kid will make that difficult if not impossible. 

"I want him to finish high school and maybe be a psychiatrist -- I think I'd primarily help women and girls who were abused by their fathers. 

"I suppose I could have the baby and give it up for adoption, but I think abortion might be the better choice.  That way, there's nothing to tie me to Anton's family, and he doesn't feel obligated to stay with me or anything."

"You're thinking of aborting?"  Thundergirl asked, wide-eyed. 

Kelly glanced at her curiously.  "Yeah.  Why?" 

Thundergirl shook her head.  "Do you think Anton wants to leave you?" 

Kelly sighed.  "His family doesn't like me.  Mostly his mom and Margaux.  Besides, he's young.  He's bound to find someone else.  He thinks it'll be fun and games, but I bet once there's a baby and no sleep and whatever else, he'll change his mind.  He's -- steadier than Margaux, like, he takes responsibility for his actions, but -- this is a lot of responsibility." 

"Okay, so ... he's staedy and responsible, mature for his age, actually excited by the idea of being a daddy -- a lot of guys, even older guys, aren't -- and he's talented and driven and capable of providing for a family?" 

Kelly smiled thinly.  "You make it sound like it's simple, but --" 

"I'm not finished.  The only problem, then, is his age.  His family will come around or they won't, you can't let that stop you from doing what you want.  Do you want my advice?" 

Kelly shrugged.  "Sure." 

"This is what I would do, if I were in your shoes.  Don't get married right away, you're both way too young.  Have and keep the baby, I'll definitely be happy to help you raise your baby, and I'm pretty sure Jennifer and Gwen will, too.  You can finish high school, go to college, and start your practice.  By then, the two of you will hopefully be more settled, and you can think about things like marriage.  Plus, you'll be more sure of Anton, at that point.  If he's around and helps raise the baby when you're not married, he's gold." 

Kelly's eyes narrowed again.  "Why do you want me to keep the baby so badly?" 

Thundergirl's hand twitch, and Kelly smiled.  Thundergirl sighed.  "I'm guessing no one told you, which doesn't make any sense.  Radar told practically everyone, I thought he'd have told you.  Your baby's a nova." 

Kelly's right hand pressed down on her stomach.  "Are you serious?" 

Thundergirl nodded. 

Kelly looked out the window, silent for a moment.  "You've got to be shitting me."  She looked back at Thundergirl.  "This is because of Anton's genes?" 

Thundergirl grimaced.  "I guess so.  It flies in the face of everything I ever learned about novas, and I knew more than anyone else, except maybe Gwen.  It shouldn'tbe hereditary.  It was radiation poisoning.  It gave our moms cancer and us powers.  It would be like ... well, like Mrs. Watson having another baby after she got cancer and passing the cancer on." 

"Am I going to get cancer?" 

Thundergirl shrugged.  "I really don't know.  My gut says no.  You weren't exposed to any radiation, that's what gave our moms cancer.  If it is hereditary, then you should be fine.  I am, however, going to run some tests on you.  Both of you.  If, of course, you're keeping the baby." 

Kelly nodded, eyes wide.  "Yeah, I think I am."