Still sobbing, Aileen nodded. "Yes Kevin. I told you, I begged him to do it. I was so afraid they would hurt you again, or me, or Nick, anybody. They had already shot you. It was the only way."

"The only way?" he yelled. "You're telling me one of my, our, best friends screwed you because it was the only way?"

She flinched. "Kevin, take it easy, you don't want to..."

"Take it easy? I find out that you're pregnant, Nick's the father, and you ask me to take it easy?" Kevin got up and started pacing about the room.

Aileen sighed, somehow, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she had known he would react like this. "He didn't mean to get me pregnant, Kev. Those guys weren't handing out the contraceptives beforehand, you know."

"Couldn't he have faked it, or something, just lay on you? Did he actually have to have an orgasm? Was it that exciting for him?"

She stood up and slapped him across the cheek. "Goddamn it Kevin! They had a camera shoved practically up his ass, how was he supposed to fake it?" she yelled.

Kevin sat down, stunned.

"Yeah, those freaks filmed it and got their rocks off later watching it!" She collapsed onto the bed, face down, shaking with the force of her tears.

Kevin put his arms around her and pulled her up to him. "I'm sorry, baby." He pushed her head gently on to his shoulder. "I didn't think. You've been through a lot too." He rubbed her back and stroked her hair.

"I'm keeping it, Kev." It came out muffled because her face was still in his shoulder.

"What did you say?" he asked, tipping her face towards him.

"I'm keeping the baby Kev."

He let go of her and sat back. "Does Nick know anything about this?"

"Kevin, he tried to kill himself that day. He shot himself in the head because he blamed himself for everything. He's still not talking to anyone or letting anyone come to see him. I don't know how to tell him."

"Does anyone else know?"

She dabbed at her eyes. "Brian knows, I asked him for advice, that's it."

Kevin grabbed her in a hug again. "Why are you keeping it baby?" he asked with tears in his eyes. "Every time you look at it you will be reminded of this."

"I can't kill an innocent child, Kev." she said, a little shocked at his attitude.

"What if it was one of the kidnappers? Would you keep it then?" he challenged.

"I don't know!" she yelled and then burst into tears. "I just don't know!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brian had had it with Nick. "I'm going to see him whether he likes it or not." he told Howie on the phone. "This is crazy, he's shut everyone out. I think Aileen is the only one that has got more than two words out of him since this happened."

"Just be easy on him, Rok, okay? He's been through a lot."

Brian stood at Nick's front door, ringing the bell. "C'mon Nick, I see the lights and TV on, answer the door!" He rang the bell a few more times, tried the knob and found the door open. He called out Nick's name and walked through the house trying to find him. As he entered the kitchen, he cried out. "Oh Nick, not again!" Brian rushed over to Nicks prone form. A small patch of blood was drying on the floor underneath his head. "Oh my God." Brian ran to find a phone and call the ambulance yet again for his friend.