The Discovery

(Author's Note: If you haven't done so, you may want to read

The Sperm Donor

first. $)

*

It was one Saturday afternoon that the life of 45-year old Mrs Helen Smith, loving wife and mother would change forever.

"I take it Donald's not happy about you doing this?" Asked Cathy.

Her younger sister had come round to help Helen with the spring cleaning.

"You don't know the half of it, Cathy." Helen complained. "Now that I'm pregnant, my over-protective husband doesn't want me to do anything. In case it hurts the baby."

Helen was two months' pregnant.

"That's including sex I suppose?" Helen and Cathy always had a close relationship and could talk about most things.

"Don't even go there." Helen looked over at her sister and saw the sympathy. "Oh don't get me wrong, I love Donald but I can't remember the last time we actually made love."

"But surely you were having sex before you became pregnant?"

"Yes, 'sex'. But that was when we were trying for a baby. When we found out that it wasn't going to work, Donald just stopped. He then just concentrated in providing the hospital with the samples."

Helen and Donald had been trying on and off for a second child for the last 14 years. But in the end, due to her husband's low sperm count, they resorted to using artificial insemination which was eventually successful.

For a moment, Helen stopped as she thought about the beakers that Donald had to fill to take to the hospital. She could still remember how different that last beaker had looked as if it was a sign that this was the one that was going to work - which it had been.

"I'm sorry, Helen." Cathy broke in.

"Oh I'm okay. It would just be nice if he occasionally treated me like a woman rather than just a wife and expectant mother."

"He only loves you. I wish I had a guy like him"

"I know that he loves me." Helen sighed. "But that doesn't mean that I can't do what I want and today that is to clean this fucking house."

"Okay! Okay!" Cathy grinned. "I think I will go and start on Gabe's room. You can come in when you have finished in here."

Gabe was Helen's 18 year old son.

"Okay. But no nosing around. You know how Gabe hates us going into his room."

Cathy just rolled her eyes and left.

It didn't take Helen too long and then she went across the landing to join her sister. When she entered her son's bedroom, she saw that Cathy had changed the bed and had tidied up the room. She was now sitting at his desk using his computer.

"What are you doing?" Helen asked. "I told you not to nose."

"Oh sorry, sis." Cathy replied, jumping at the sound of her sister's voice. "I wasn't meaning to but found that his computer was on and couldn't resist."

"Well you have better turn it off then."

Cathy turned and looked at Helen, her face completely deadpan. "I think you should look at this first."

Helen went over. "What is it?"

Cathy got up and offered Helen her seat. "Just take a look. I'll get us some coffees."

Helen sat down and looked at what was on the screen. She saw that Word was open and that a document had been loaded.

She read the first couple of lines.

'The Sperm Donor

18-year old Gabe Smith stood outside his parents' bedroom...'

"What is this? She asked herself. Helen carried on reading.

'It was early in the morning and the young boy was thirsty and had got up to get a drink.

As he had walked back to his room, he heard voices coming out of his parents' bedroom. His curiosity aroused, he had stopped to listen to what they were saying.

"I hope it works this time, Donald." It was his mother's voice...

(Author's Note: Read

The Sperm Donor

for the full story. $).

...mum's going to have my baby, he sickly thought even as he felt her soft breasts pressing into his chest. The boy managed to extract himself before his mother noticed his expanding erection. He quickly had to excuse himself.

That night, Gabe had to jack himself off three times before he fell asleep exhausted. A smile on his face.'

Helen sat staring at the screen before she noticed that her sister was standing by her, cup in hand. She took it and drank deeply. At that moment, she wished it was something stronger.

"I'm sorry, Helen. He had a folder open on the screen and the document was just there. I couldn't resist opening it."

"It's a story on how I became pregnant." Helen said, feeling numb.

"I know."

"But it is so sick. It says that it was Gabe who got me pregnant, by switching the semen in the beaker." Helen felt disgust.

Cathy knelt next to her sister and squeezed her arm. "I'm sorry, Helen. I knew that Gabe had a very vivid imagination but this...?"

Helen nodded. But she wondered if it was just her son's imagination. Some of the things depicted in the story had actually happened and then there was the thing with the beaker. She could still remember how full it looked compared to the others, as if...

No! She could not think that.

"You okay?" Cathy broke in.

"Huh? Oh I'm fine." She lied.

The last line of the story came back to her: '

That night, Gabe had to jack himself off three times before he fell asleep exhausted. A smile on his face.'

Had Gabe really wanted to make her pregnant? His own mother?

Helen felt a tinge and realised that this time it was not just revulsion.

"Helen?" Her sister was speaking to her. "You keep zoning out. You sure you're okay?"

"Huh? Oh sorry, Cathy. I am just a bit shocked I guess."

"I don't blame you."

Helen looked around the room. "Look. Mind if we call it a day? We have pretty much done everything and I can finish up later."

"You sure? I haven't dusted and hoovered in here yet." Cathy said.

"Oh don't worry about that. I will do it later."

"Okay." Cathy sighed. "If that's what you want."

Twenty minutes later, Helen was seeing her sister off.

"I wouldn't worry too much that story, Helen." Cathy said. "He's a teenager, full of hormones and a very vivid imagination. He has just gone off track a little. I have heard worst things. He will grow out of it."

Helen smiled at her reassuring words. "I guess."

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to tell Donald?"

"He would go mad. No, I will deal with it."

Helen could see that Cathy wanted to ask more but had decided against it. Instead she said 'bye' and left.

************************************************************************

Later, Helen lay on her bed. In her hands was a print out of Gabe's story.

************************************************************************

A few weeks had passed and Helen, having the house to herself, was in the sitting room trying to watch the latest instalment of Eastenders, but with very little luck.

Again she found her thoughts returning to the story Gabe had written. Try as she might, she just could not forget what she had read. The rational side of her said it was just a piece of sick fiction. Of course, it did not help that she kept reading it over and over.

But some of the events in it had actually happened. Discovering that they had forgotten the beaker and having to go back home for it. Finding Gabe with it in his hand.

Had he just found it himself or had he been doing something? The contents in the beaker did look different and there was the nurse's comment about it. That she had never seen one that looked so good.

Could he have actually done it? Could he have actually swapped his father's semen with his own?

At first, she tried to pass the whole thing off was preposterous. But now she was slowly growing more convinced that it was not. She felt herself flush at the thought as she continued to nurse her cup of coffee.

Christ! She wished she could have a real drink.

But it can't be true can it? The idea was so sick.

Again, she felt that flush and realised it was excitement. Immediately she felt guilty. The story didn't excite her? Did it?

Surely she could not find the idea of being pregnant with her own son's baby exciting?

Oh God please no!

Maybe it was just hormones? Her hormones rather than her son's.

She had to admit that she had been feeling more horny of late. Maybe it was the pregnancy? They say that it could affect a woman's libido though she could not remember how she was like when she was pregnant with Gabe. Of course, it did not help that her husband had not touched her in months. She had tried approaching him a few times but he would just back off with the excuse that he did not want to harm the baby. Eventually, she had given up and resorted to other methods.

Yes. That was it. It wasn't the story, she told herself unconvincingly.

Helen sighed. What a mess!

"Hi, Mum." Helen's chain of thought was interrupted as Gabe came walking through the door.

"Gabe!" Helen said, surprised in seeing her son. "You are back early."

"Well there wasn't anything on at the flicks and it's pretty cold so I thought I just come home."

Helen knew that Gabe would want to go up to his room as per usual.

"Could you sit with me for a minute?" Helen found herself saying.

What was she doing?

Gabe sat down on the sofa next to her.

"What's up, Mum?"

No! Don't!

"I have something to show you." Helen fished out Gabe's story from her handbag and handed it to him.

The boy opened it up.

"Oh." He whispered as she watched the colour drain from his face.

"I read it."

The boy looked terrified. Instantly, her maternal instincts came to the fore. Reaching out, Helen took Gabe's hands in hers.

"It's alright." She soothed. "I am not mad."

No, she felt something else altogether.

Gabe said nothing.

"Well perhaps a little disappointed." Helen conceded. "What if your father had read it? He would have gone berserk."

"Y-you weren't suppose to read it." The boy said, not looking at her.

"And you weren't suppose to write it, honey. What made you do it?" Before she waited for an answer, Helen found herself asking: "It's true isn't it?"

Again she felt a flush of excitement. But stronger this time.

The look on the boy's face had told her everything. However, he tried to evade her. "W-what's true?"

Helen was determined to get the truth. "That you swapped the contents in the beaker."

"Err..."

"That you substituted your father's semen with your own. That you got me pregnant." As she said it, Helen could feel the excitement surge through her.

Gabe said nothing.

"Well?" She pressed.

"I.." She knew that Gabe wanted to bolt. But she held him firmly by the hands.

"I said I am not mad with you. But I need to know the truth."

"I..."

"Please?"

Gabe slowly nodded. His face ashen.

Helen fell back into the sofa. It was now a certainty. The baby was Gabe's, not Donald's. The very idea that she was having her son's baby should have made her sick to the stomach. It did not. Instead she had butterflies.

Helen looked at the boy. Why wasn't she furious with him? Instead she felt her heart go out to the lad. Gabe was still her son. Despite everything else, he was still her little boy.

Pulling herself up, Helen lifted his chin so that he faced her. He tried to squirm.

"Look at me." She told him. The boy obeyed.

She just stared at his face and could not help but think how handsome he was becoming. He was already so much better looking than his father. Her boy was growing up.

Her excitement grew.

"But why?" She asked softly, finding her voice a little husky.

"I-I..." He started

"Go on, sweetheart. Tell me. Tell Mummy." In the past, when comforting her son, Helen had often referred to herself as 'Mummy'. When she did it this time, it felt different.

"W-well, I knew that you and Dad were having problems having a baby..." Gabe started to say.

Helen waited for him to continue.

"...and I heard you and Dad that morning and I just wanted to help."

Oh baby, she thought.

"But Gabe, that was so wrong."

"I just wanted to help." He simply stated. It looked like he was going to cry.

"Oh, sweetheart. Come and give your Mummy a hug." Again Helen felt herself flush as she pulled her son into an embrace.

"I'm sorry, Mum." Gabe said, almost sobbing. "I was only trying to help."

"Shhhh!" Whispered Helen. "It's okay. It's all going to be okay."

But despite her words being all maternal, Helen was now aware of how her son fitted in her arms. His developing young body felt so good. She could smell his musk. His hot skin against hers. He was definitely turning into a young man.

She felt another surge of excitement.

Helen pulled back and looked deep into his blue eyes.

"Oh darling, I do love you. You do know that?" She said.

"Yes, Mum." Gabe nodded.

"And that I will never stop loving you. Whatever happens."

Gabe nodded.

Helen was going to say something else when they heard the front door slam. Her husband was home. She instantly stood up.

"Hi, guys." Donald announced as he come into the living room, throwing his briefcase onto his armchair.

"You are home early." Helen said, finding herself annoyed at the interruption. "At least I can now start the dinner."

Helen went into the kitchen, leaving Gabe in the sitting room while Donald went upstairs to change.

As she got the pans and pots out, her mind went over the revelation she had with Gabe.

She was going to have her son's baby! Her heart fluttered.

************************************************************************

Dinner went ahead as normal with Donald going on about things that were happening at work. Helen nodded and commented, her attention kept returning to Gabe who just sat at the table quietly. His plate hardly touched.

"You okay, Gabe?" Asked his father.

"Yeah." Gabe replied.

"But you haven't touched your dinner." Stated Helen.

Gabe pushed his plate away. "Sorry. Just not hungry."

Helen leant over and felt her boy's forehead for a temperature. Though she knew the real reason why he had lost his appetite. ""Are you feeling okay?"

"Just a bit tired." The boy replied.

"Then why don't you go up to your bedroom and I'll come up later to see how you are." Helen said.

"Okay." And the boy quickly left the table.

"You haven't eaten much yourself." Commented Donald, looking at Helen's plate.

"I had a sandwich earlier." Helen lied.

"I don't know what's the matter with that kid." Muttered Donald. "He's been funny ever since you became pregnant."

"You think?" Helen was not sure if she was being sarcastic or genuine.

"I wonder if he's jealous? Being an only child all this life and now he has a little baby brother or sister coming along." Donald wondered.

Or rather a son or daughter, thought Helen. Again she felt herself flush.

"I don't think so, darling." She told her husband. "Anyway, I will check on him later and see how he is."

"Okay."

As usual, Helen and Donald did the washing up together. With Donald doing the actual washing while Helen dried and put the crockery and pans away since she was the only person who knew where everything went.

Helen then went on to make a chicken sandwich for Gabe while Donald excused himself back into the living room. A few minutes later, she went through on her way upstairs.

"I am just seeing how Gabe is." She said.

"Okay." Replied her husband as he went through the channels on the Sky remote. "There's a good film at nine on the Syfy Channel that we should watch."

"Okay." Helen said, not really listening.

************************************************************************

Outside Gabe's bedroom door, Helen knocked.

Getting no answer, she let herself in.

In the dark, Gabe was sitting on the edge of his bed. Turning on the bedside lamp, she placed the plate next to it and then sat next to the boy.

"You were very quiet at the dinner table. You okay?" She asked, knowing full well that he was not.

"I'm sorry."

Helen then saw that Gabe had been crying.

"Come here." Helen took her boy into her arms and held him tightly. Again she noticed how good it felt.

"We will get round this." She soothed.

Gabe nodded again. "But..."

"Shhhh."

"For long moments Helen held her child to her. She then pulled back.

"Sweetheart. What is done is done. I know that if you could go back, you wouldn't have done it."

"Huh! Huh!" The boy nodded.

"But if you hadn't had done that, then there would be no baby."

"What?"

"Gabe. You are almost an adult and I should treat you like one and so I am going to be honest with you. If it wasn't for you, I doubt I would ever have another baby."

And it was true. In her heart, she knew that she and Donald would have never had another child together. If it hadn't been for Gabe...

The revelation brought tears to her eyes.

"Mum?"

"I'm okay." Helen said, wiping her face. She then continued.

"I already told you that your father has a low sperm count. Well the doctors told us that it was very doubtful we would ever conceive. Literally that last visit was our last chance. I saw the beaker when I first got up and knew it would not work. But then when I checked it after coming back for it. After I took it off you."

"Y-you knew?" Gasped Gabe.

"I knew there was something different with it...and when the nurse said how good the sample was. That it was the best she had ever seen. I didn't realise it at the time but maybe I did suspect something."

She found herself looking into her son's face. Into his startling blue eyes. Eyes that were a mirror image of her own.

"God, darling. Do you realise how handsome you are becoming?" Helen sighed. "Some day you will make a lucky girl very happy." And she felt a wave of bitterness. Helen did not want to lose her baby boy. Not to anyone.

Gabe blushed.

Helen stared intently at him as she felt an intense wave of love for her boy. Something that she had never felt before. Oh she would always love him but this felt different. Was it gratitude for what he had done? For what he had given her? Or was it something much more?

He was so handsome. His face. His mouth. His lips.

Oh baby.

Helen started to move forward. Her face closing on the boy's. Her lips moving towards his.

"HELEN! THE FILM'S ON!".

Her husband's voice was like a jolt of electricity. Helen quickly stood up.

"Now eat your sandwich and we can talk more about this later."

The boy nodded and went to eat his meal while Helen left him to join her husband downstairs.

"What had happen just then?" Helen asked herself.

************************************************************************

"Where are you going?" Her husband asked as Helen pulled on her dressing gown.

"I'm just going to check on Gabe." She told him.

"You worry about him too much. Let him be."

"I just want to make sure he's alright." She answered though she knew there was more to it than that. Her rational side told her that she should stay in her bedroom but she had to see her son.

Like before she knocked on her son's door before letting herself in. With the bedside lamp still on, she saw that Gabe had changed and was now in bed.

"Mum?"

"I just came to say 'goodnight'". She looked at the half eaten sandwich on the bedside table. "You didn't like your sandwich?"

"Sorry."

"You keep saying that." Helen smiled as she sat on the edge of his bed. She reached over and pushed back his mop of hair.

"I just wanted to make sure you are okay." She continued.

"I suppose."

"Gabe. Everything will work out. I promise you."

"I suppose." Gabe said again and then after a slight pause. "Mum? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. Shoot!"

"Will you keep the baby?"

The question struck Helen like a dagger. Why would he even think that she would consider anything other than keeping it?