Whitney is bored beyond belief with the bed rest. She does her homework with the  boys as soon as she receives it. When Carmen comes over she takes a break and talks with her like a drowning man holds to a rope.

"Okay, I know you weren't in a car accident. What the hell really happened to you and John?" Carmen finally asks when her curiosity finally got the best of her.

"Are you sure you really want to know? It's not pretty and it's mafia business." Whitney wants to tell her more than anything, but she doesn't want to involve Carmen more than she already is if she isn't ready.

Carmen looks at her intently. Then she sighs, "I guess I should tell you my secret before you continue. It also involves the mafia."

Now it's Whitney's turn to look at Carmen hard. "I'm sorry, Carmen, but I think the boys will need to hear what you have to say. If it's mafia business they will need to know to protect themselves." Carmen nods miserably before Whitney takes the phone the boys bought her and calls John. When he didn't answer she called Michael.

When he didn't pick up, that makes Whitney upset. They just got rid of the biggest threat to their territory, they shouldn't be having problems so big that they can't pick up the damn phone.

"Hey, you know what? They can shove it up their asses. I can't tell you about what happened just yet, but I can tell you why I'm on this fucking bed rest." Whitney says more than a bit pissed at everything.

"It's really why I wanted you to come over in the first place."

This grabs Carmen's attention. "Is everything alright? You aren't going to die or anything are you?" Carmen is worried. Whitney is her only real friend. She is very aware that her boyfriend isn't really a boyfriend, she's more like a fuck buddy or even another mistress. She wishes to have more friends, but she's far to introverted to put herself out. She's tried and every time she's been burned. She's given up having friends until Whitney blew into her life and helped her.

She knows that Michael is out of her league and so, although she is enjoying the attention he's giving her she is more than a little aware that it isn't a long lasting relationship. She'll be thankful if he really does take her to the prom which is the following week.

"No, nothing like that, but there is a problem. I'm just not sure what I want to do about it or if it will even matter what I want in the end." Whitney finally says then lies back on the pillows and looks up at the ceiling.

"Are you ready to know more about my life before coming to live with the boys?" Whitney asks looking at Carmen. "Just know, anything I tell you about myself you must keep to yourself. Anything you tell others, no matter how seemingly innocent, could come back and hurt myself or the boys."

Carmen swallows at her words but slowly nods her head. She's been going crazy not knowing about her friend's life. "I was sold to the twins father when I was ten. I was trained in various things, one of which was to be a whore. If I cried I was punished. If I didn't do my lessons properly I was punished. The punishments were varied, the easiest and least painful was with holding meals. Their father didn't like a healthy looking body, he wanted the bones of the body to be, not plainly visible, but obvious. So we often went through the day on one meal, if we were lucky we got two. 

"Less pleasant punishments were beatings or sexual abuse. If you cried during either you were further punished. Whippings were also normal and used quite freely." Carmen has her hands over her mouth to hold back her horror at what Whitney was telling her.

"Not very pleasant is it? The boys have my absolute loyalty because they took me away from all that. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for them and they know it.

"When they took me away from that hell they offered me an apartment and money. They said that I could cut all ties to them and what their father did to me. They offered to get me a new name and life.

"But when John offered to make me his girlfriend I took that option. I can't say that I love him. It's been so long since I've had any love that I'm not sure what it even is any more, but I do care for him a great deal. Him and Michael both.

"You are aware of the arrangement I have with them." Whitney waits for Carmen to nod before continuing. "I won't sleep with Michael without him using protection and he knows this.

"Part of me being a whore meant that I was sent out on assignments or missions. My last assignment was at the high school. I didn't even have to do anything really the marks did it all themselves. I just had to get the blackmail evidence. 

"I was able to do so Monday. Just thinking about it makes me sick." Whitney has to stop and let her stomach settle a bit before continuing.

"The boys told me that I wouldn't have to finish the assignment, but I felt like I owed it to them. I've never had such a problem doing what I was trained for. I felt dirty and used, more disgusted than when that bastard took my innocence when I was ten.

"Any way, the part that I can't talk about happens later that day.

"I was brought home unconscious. The doctor hooked me up to an IV and drew blood. Since it was near time to have my birth control given again, I get the shot, he checked to see if I am pregnant. Just a routine check." Whitney gives a bitter laugh, "At least that's what he thought."

Whitney looks over to Carmen, "I'm pregnant. The shitty part is, I'm not sure who the father is because of what I had to do."

Carmen sits in shocked silence and just lets all that information filter through her brain. 

"Does John know?" Carmen finally manages to get out.

"Yeah, he was here with me when the doctor told me. He was great about it. Said that it was up to me whether I keep the baby or get an abortion. He said that if I choose to keep the baby then wish to give it up for adoption at birth that Michael would like to adopt it. Michael said the same thing once he was told.

"But the real kicker, besides being told all that, John said that he'd help raise our child even if I decided to break up with him."

"Okay, so what are you thinking about doing?" Carmen asks timidly. She's not sure where Whitney is going with this or what she wants to hear.

"Oh, no, I haven't told you the reason the doctor set me on bed rest yet. It seems that because that bastard liked his whores underweight that I need to gain some weight just to be able to safely carry the baby through to birth. He says with all the stress and being underweight that it's a miracle that I haven't miscarried yet and to prevent that unless I decide to abort he set me on bed rest."

Carmen takes that in as well. "Okay, I'm not sure what your problem is here. I'm thrilled for you about you being pregnant if you are happy about it, but I'm here for you no matter what decision you go with.

"It seems to me, that since you aren't up and walking around that you've already, at least subconsciously decided that you want the baby. Other wise, from what I know of you, you would have thumbed your nose at the doctor and started walking around. Perhaps even hoping that the baby would miscarry."

Carmen bites her lips hoping that her words don't make Whitney upset with her. She really likes having a friend to talk to.

Whitney looks at Carmen and just blinks.

Time passes with neither of them speaking, just Whitney looking at her and blinking.

Carmen blushes, "I'm sorry, I've over stepped myself. I should go. I hope that whatever happened that you and John get better soon. I'll just see myself out."

"No, wait. I was just thinking about what you said, you are right. If I hadn't wanted the child then I would have gotten out of bed and perhaps hoped that it would miscarry on its own. That or called the doctor in and had him give me an abortion. Thank you," Whitney sighs and gives her a small smile. "Please, don't go. It seems that the boys are too busy to be bothered by me and there is nothing to do."

Whitney blushes as she realizes how that sounds. "Shit, that sounds bad, I'm sorry. It's just that I was waiting for you to come all day today and because of my big mouth you are leaving or rather my stupidity you are leaving."

Carmen sits back down nervously, "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like you have to put up with me."

Whitney sniffs, "Oh, please, like you are such a hardship to deal with. I'm the bitchy one. You are fine. I've not had a friend since my father was killed."

"He was killed?" Carmen asks sadly. Her father was too.

"Yeah, our father had him killed," John says from the door way. Michael standing next to him.

"Yes?" Whitney asks more than a little upset that her phone call was ignored.

"You called and we wanted to make sure that you two were alright." Michael says, but is looking at Carmen.

"Yeah, you could have done that by picking up the call or calling me back if you couldn't answer at the time.

"Our meeting ended and we decided we wanted to come hang out with you two." Michael is the one that answers that time.

Whitney looks at him with narrowed eyes, but Carmen answers him before Whitney does. Probably a good thing that she did.

"That's fine. There is something you all should know about my past. My father was in the mafia."