Summary - 10 years in the future. Danny and Alice are happily married. Lexi is 15 and now has an adopted brother called Ethan. I can't tell you much more without giving my story away but they do go to leopards den in this one yay at last! Lol Alice and Danny are back living in Bristol and own their own vets practice bought with Alice compensation money from her accident. I must tell you that this story is more based around Lexi and Ethan and others rather than Danice although there will be plenty of Danice fluffiness. Enjoy people.

(Here's my small disclaimer too. I do not own wild at heart or any of the characters or nothing)

End Of May 10 years in the future.

Alice was sat in her home in Bristol. It was weird talking that way about Bristol. Bristol should never have been home to her but here she was. they had lived here for nearly 6 years now. They been house hunting. Looking anywhere and everywhere and found this cute little house on the very edge of Bristol. That was very convenient coz they had been looking for a vets practice to buy into too. The practice was literally 10 minutes away walking. They had schools near too. They had spoke at length as Danny knew her feelings on Bristol. She'd agreed to have a look at the house and she fell in love as soon as she saw it. 4 bedrooms. 2 bathrooms. A garage. A huge back garden. She fell in love and she told Danny if he wanted to they could buy it. And they had. They had a small mortgage but their wages easily covered it as they had put down a large deposit. Her house up in Glasgow had been sold. Alice had shed a few tears but she couldn't hold on to it anymore. The money and her compensation easily paid for the vets practice and a nice deposit here!

She was savouring the peace and quiet. Sat in the kitchen. It was a habit she'd picked up from her mum which had stuck with her. To say they didn't get much of peace and quiet in this house was an understatement. With 2 teenagers in the house they had NO quiet. Alice wouldn't have it any other way. Lexi, who had just turned 15 was a lot like she was when she was a child. Queen of the world with an attitude to match. She was easily over 6 foot tall and slim. Her eyes which used to be blue green had changed when she was 8 to green. She had the same messy brownie blond hair that Danny had that refused to be tamed. Although she and Danny had proof Lexi wasn't Danny's daughter you'd never think it looking at her. She was the image of him and they were identical in every way. From the way they looked talked walked. Jokes they laughed at. Everything. It was like Alice had contributed nothing. She always had been a daddies girl though! They had a son now too. Ethan. They had fostered him 2 years ago and almost immediately decided to adopt him. He was 15 too. 6 foot with brown eyes and longish brown hair. He was tanned all year around which Lexi hated him for.

Alice decided to get her wedding pictures out. It had been ages since she looked at them. She grabbed the thick leather album and sat down at the kitchen table. Flicked through the pages. Smiled at pictures Shauna and Missy had taken. In every picture it seemed she and Danny were touching or kissing. There were some gorgeous ones of Danny and Lexi. Sweet father daughter moments. She stopped and looked at the group photograph. If they were to take something like this now it would be different. Mrs Carr would not be stood beside her husband Brian. Her name now Mrs Elliott. She was still mum to her and Shauna and nana to Lexi. She'd tried to take Ethan under her wing too but her called her Mrs Elliott like Danny did. They had also tried for years to get Danny to call her mum or at least say she was his mother in law. He'd explained it was nothing personal but he had a mum and couldn't see anyone else in that position. Her mum had taken it fine though. She was great! Missy was living with her boyfriend of 5 years. She vowed never to get married as she was scared what she and Shauna were planning for her. She was just to plain scared to go through with it. Shauna was married to James and guess what else. Pregnant. 7 months. Due on hers and Danny wedding anniversary. Alice had £20 on her giving birth on that day. Danny had £20 on her giving birth a week later, although he said she wouldn't give birth then just to spite him! Shauna was well pissed people were betting on her due date. Then she bet she would go into labour a week early. James was walking on air now, he felt like king of the universe. They had found out they were having twin girls. Shauna looked pale as she'd told her. Remembering Alice in the delivery room. The woman's screams from down the hall. Alice smiled. God help Shauna and James. Twin girls. They had a hard enough time keeping Lexi out of trouble. They had 2 Shauna's on the way! Danny had been a little sad when they announced their happy news. He was truly happy for them he just felt jealous that he and Alice would never have that. He'd never see her pregnant. He'd never hold a new born baby in his arms. Only minutes old. He told her all this once. They talked about everything now. She said she felt that way too.

There was more sad news too. She touched Danny's mothers face on the photograph. She had passed away 3 years ago. Her cancer which had went into remission came back. Worse and faster than before. She and Danny had found out a month after she did. A month later she fell asleep and never woke up. She and Danny had said a prayer together. Asked her mum and his dad to take care of her. Danny had been in pieces. In his head he was happy that his mother was out of pain and reunited with his father he still missed her though.

She was so lost in thought she didn't hear the front door slam and 2 kids storm into the kitchen. School must be over!

"Mum tell this freak show to keep away from me!" Lexi yelled.

"Erm I think you're the freak show not me and you were following me!"

Alice looked at her daughter and Ethan. Scowling at each other. "What's going on?"

"This freak show's weirdo friends were staring at me again!"

"Don't call Ethan a freak show Lexi!" Alice warned.

Lexi's green eyes flashed fire. She was the double of her father at this moment. Her arms crossed over her chest belligerently. Yup definitely her daddy!

"He is a freak show! Can't you buy clothes that fit?" She goaded and looked at his baggy jeans.

"Can't you brush your hair?" he replied.

"That's pretty stupid looking at your shaggy mop!"

Ethan's eyes narrowed. Looked at her and how much she resembled her dad. He knew how to get her.

"Hey Lex you know what you look EXACTLY like your dad! Very LANKY!"

Alice winced. She hated comments made about her height. She'd been close to 6 foot since she was 14 and now she over 6 foot and despised it.

Lexi's eyes turned into slits. "You are so DEAD!" she shrieked and launched herself at him. Alice caught her around the waist.

Ethan grinned at his victory and started to walk from the kitchen. He again wore his I don't care expression.

"I'm gonna smother you in your sleep freak show!" Lexi yelled.

He turned grinned and then said. "I look forward to it bean pole!" he then laughed.

Lexi had stopped fighting for a second when he grinned. She'd froze at the sight of his smile. Then he'd called her bean pole and she'd fought more.

Alice would have to check on her daughter tonight. She never made idle threats. She would definitely try to smother him tonight. She smiled wryly. That wasn't a trait she inherited from her. Someone else must had gave her indicating the sperm donor as she called him.

"Can't you 2 get along?" Alice asked when Lexi had calmed down.

"Can he curl up and die?" Lexi replied.

"LEXI!"

"Sorry but one of his creepy friends followed me home. And a couple of days ago I found him in my room." her green eyes were weary. "He was stood next to my underwear drawer. I walked in my room and he had…..stuff to his face!"

"Which one?" Alice asked her tone cold.

"Derek."

"I'll sort this baby. Promise!"

She and Ethan were going to have to talk. She wasn't bothered about him having friends around. And she understood that Lexi was a pretty girl. No doubt a couple of his friends would like her but he'd already been told Derek wasn't to come here ever! He was 24 years ago and the first time he'd seen Lexi she had barely been 14 and he'd cornered her in the back yard. They had involved the police but they couldn't do anything coz he hadn't touched her. No just scared the life out of her with the things he'd said he wanted to do to her! It had Taken all of Alice's persuasion for Danny not to go after him! He was so going to get it when Alice saw him, she was going to skewer his testicles!

"You mind if I head over to Shay's?"

"Na off ya go baby. Give me a ring if it's dark and I'll come pick ya up when you want to come home."

(X)

Lexi left and all was quiet in the house again. She again started thinking about the changes which had happened in the last 10 years. There had been a couple. They had of course bought this house and moved back to Bristol. A place she swore she'd never live. She and Danny were both qualified vets he 2 years in front of her. He worked in their vets practice full time with another vet and she worked full time during term time. And part time during the holidays. The other big change in their life had been Ethan. They had became foster carers about 8 years ago. Alice didn't want to go through IVF or surrogacy but she wanted more kids. They had then decided that there were plenty of kids who needed homes. They had fostered a few at first getting used to having more than one child then they met Ethan. No one would keep him longer than a week or 2. He was moody surly and aggressive. That was what his file said but then he'd saw Lexi. They had hit it off at first. They got along like house on fire. It wasn't till 6 months ago that he and Lexi began getting on each others nerves. Nothing serious had happened, Alice was certain of that. Well something had happened. Lexi had woke up one morning and looked at Ethan and realised he's a good looking boy and maybe she liked him. Alice saw all the signs. She remembered them well on her own face when she'd been with Danny at the beginning. Hate in teenage girl speak generally meant love. Awww bless!

Anyways she and Danny had spoke about Ethan and decided to adopt him. He's a mixed up kid but Alice felt a connection with him. Probably had something to do with his past. His file had been colourful to say the least. Alice thought the social worker showed them it to put her off adopting him. His father had viciously abused him. Using weapons frequently. Including whips, pieces of wood and metal. Bleach. He's had house hold items hit off him and chairs broken over his back. At 12 years old his father had killed his mother in front of him beat her to death. Although he was in prison for life Ethan's scars still remained. Ethan spent most of his time trying to provoke Danny. He tried desperately to get a reaction. To start fights with him Ethan wanted Danny to hit him. Danny being as easy going guy found it easy not to react and shrugged off his comments. With every time Danny didn't react Ethan tried harder. He was shocked that he hadn't reacted yet! All Danny and Alice wanted for Ethan was to give him a better start than he had. He was there son in every sense of the word. Now if he only believed that Danny would hurt him they'd be fine.

Ethan walked back into the kitchen.

"Sorry bowt the yelling Alice." he said.

"Don't worry about it Eth, Lexi and yelling go hand in hand."

He nodded.

"Derek was here." Alice said neutrally watching Ethan's reaction.

Ethan's head whipped up in shock. "What the hell for? I didn't invite him! I don't even talk to him anymore sick perve!"

"He was in Lexi's room."

Ethan's fists clenched. "I'll kill him. I told him to stay away from her. Warned him what I'd do if any harm came to her!"

Ethan started to shake with anger.

Alice kneeled in front of him. Put her soft hand on his face. "Ethan look at me."

He didn't. In his head he could see his fist hitting Derek's face. Felt his body flood with satisfaction as it did so.

"Ethan!" Alice said louder.

He finally looked at alice.

"This isn't you Ethan! You don't have to use your fists. You're a better person than that!"

Ethan's head dropped to the kitchen table. Let it fall and hit with a thud. It disgusted him that he was so much like his father. How when he got angry he wanted to lash out. Hit something. Pound it into submission. Not work through it rationally just keep hitting and hitting!

"Ethan son your not like him! You can calm yourself. Restrain the anger. He didn't care!"

He looked at Alice. Brown eyes bleak. "Bet you wished you never adopted me huh. You got yourself landed with a psycho!"

"Awww Ethan we love you. We wish you were our son. If you were life would have been so much better. We've never regretted adopting you!"

"Speak for yourself. I be HE feels different!" Ethan said bitterly.

"Why don't you like Danny?" Alice asked softly.

"Coz HE don't like me!" Ethan replied.

"Is it coz his height scares you? Alice asked again in her soft tone.

"NO!" he voice wobbled slightly. "I'm not scared of anyone or anything!" he picked fights with gangs of lads to prove it. Truth be told his height did intimidate him abit. Ethan wasn't short but he wasn't as tall as Danny either.

"He'll never hurt you you know."

"He's capable. All men are. Even me. One day he'll hit me and when he does I'll take him out!" Ethan warned in his toughest voice. He then left the room and slammed the front door. His fists had been clenched. No doubt he'll come home covered in bruises and cuts. He was going to find a gang and pick a fight. Alice worried herself sick at these times. She rang Danny.

"Honey it's Ethan. He's lost it again. Going to pick a fight I think!"

"Ok Alice darling. Don't worry I'll find him before he hurts himself. Ashley is eager for more freedom anyway. Love you Hun."

"Love you too." Alice disconnected the call and then paced.

A/N ok there it is. straight into the story. how did this go. next chapter we'll learn more about ethan and his past. review please people :)