Catalyst

Chapter 6

The air whooshed out of Quinn's lungs. The first thing out of her mouth was also the first thing she thought, "It's a fake."

Rachel's voice sounded far away, but firm, "I assure you, it is not." In a manner that was strangely unselfconscious, she lifted her penis to show that the skin was taut, so it was connected to something even if she couldn't see what. You're pregnant, idiot, she thought. Of course you know what they're connected to. Alright, so somehow Rachel had tucked herself in there and wore a skirt everyday, kissed her boyfriend, changed for gym, and no one had noticed an unseemly bulge?

"You're a boy?" She asked. Part of her was hopeful. This meant she wasn't gay, didn't have any homosexual tendencies at all, really. Her body just knew what her mind didn't. The rest of her felt cold. This meant she could very well be pregnant with Rachel's baby, and trapping her.

Rachel shook her head. "I am a woman."

"How?" She asked. The words hurt to get out.

Rachel pulled her clothes back into place and sat next to her. "I-" She bit her lip, frowned, looking very contemplative, and then said in a voice that was curiously flat, "I'm an intersexual. I have male and female sexual characteristics. I-I shouldn't be able to, to get you pregnant but I did."

Quinn rubbed her eyes, "I don't- I don't understand."

The brunette frowned, "What's not to understand? Would you prefer for me to clarify it?"

If anything, it was too clear. The image was stark in her head; a little baby, pale and skinny, attached to a bunch of tubes, a green blanket because they weren't sure to swaddle it in blue or pink. It. But it was staring at her with big, teary brown eyes and a pink mouth that was getting bitten to death and wringing hands. It was wearing a skirt and a sweater vest and Mary Jane's. It was just barely past five feet and had a penis and had breasts. The other girl shook her head, eyes covered by the heels of her hands. "No. Just, give me a minute."

"Of course."

It had a voice like an angel, the kind that swallowed you whole, like Jonah and the whale and a painfully sincere smile that showed all of its teeth and wouldn't leave Quinn alone, no matter how much she tried. Quinn stopped rubbing her eyes and took a deep breath. It was Rachel, who had kissed her and made her orgasm in the auditorium. So, it was Rachel, who was a girl.

"You are a girl."

"Yes," Rachel responded.

"But you have a," She felt her cheeks flush and she almost whispered, "a penis and a vagina."

There was no pink on Rachel's face, and she scratched under her nose briefly, "Yes. Well, not much of a vagina. It's more like a -" she paused. "Never mind, yes, I do.

"It is a fully functioning penis, equipped with the ability to get women pregnant."

"Apparently so."

"Right. And now I'm pregnant and it's not Puck's and it's not Finn's; it's your baby."

Rachel blinked, "Yes. I suppose it is mine." A few seconds passed before Rachel abruptly paled. Granted, she was darker than Quinn still, but she blinked a little slower.

Quinn reached out and took Rachel's hand. Rachel rubbed under her nose and said, "Oh."

Then, with a little more feeling, "Oh! Wow."

"Yeah," Quinn said. "Wow." That was an understatement if ever there was one.

Rachel looked pensive, before saying, "Are you going to have an abortion?" Her voice was small.