Title: The Longest Year
Author: phoniexchild
Fandom: Drake & Josh
Genre: angst, drama, slash
Rating: T/PG-13
Pairings: Drake/Josh
Summary: They would make it through this somehow, Walter knew.
Disclaimer: I do not own Drake & Josh.
Author's Notes: First I want to apologize for this taking so long! Real life demanded attention then there was the Livejournal Strikethrough '07. Also, everyone who has reviewed and didn't get a message from me, sorry and thank you so much for reading and taking the time to tell me your thoughts.

As always thanks to my awesome beta madeitsimple from LJ.

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Chapter Three

Walter stood in the kitchen listless. The house was silent and the quiet sounds of night echoing loudly in his ears.

Audrey was still out. She had stormed out after one of their fights (they had never fought before all of this) and Walter was just glad that Megan and Josh weren't home to see it.

He sighed. Where had they gone wrong? They had pushed the boys together, hoping the two would become at least friends. Walter was overjoyed when they bonded and started calling each other brother.

Josh had always been fond of hugging and Walter had been pleasantly surprised when Drake had first allowed it, then encouraged it. Maybe he should have known. They were step-brothers who are closer to each other than Walter had ever been to any of his biological brothers.

Shaking his head, Walter left the kitchen and headed upstairs. He stopped at Josh and Dra- …at Josh's door, cracked it open and listened. Walter didn't worry about Josh sneaking out; he just worried about his son.

He heard sniffling. He pushed aside feelings of guilt (I made my son cry) and softly called out, "Josh?"

Silence.

"Good night," Walter whispered and closed the door.

He went to Megan's door next, but it was locked. He tried not to let that bother him as he headed to his own room.

Drake and Megan called him "dad." He knew at first it was on Audrey's insistence. When Walter and Audrey started dating they had spend much time talking about their children, until they realized what they were doing and laughingly reminded each other that they weren't only parents.

They had continued seeing each other and Walter introduced Audrey to his son. Josh had been happy for his dad, but upset too. And only after the Nichols men had a talk, did Walter realize that Josh felt guilty because he liked Audrey and wouldn't have minded her as a mother. Walter had smiled at Josh for knowing where his father's relationship was going since Audrey was the only woman he had introduced to Josh.

Walter's introduction with the Parker children had been much different.

Megan had been curious about him and asked all sorts of questions (quite a few embarrassing ones as well). And Drake, on the other hand, had just ignored him unless Audrey tried to start conversation between the two.

They didn't have much in common.

Walter had thought that first meeting could have gone a lot worse. He had always sympathized with Drake and Megan, because his own father had left suddenly when he was young too. Walter had decided he wouldn't force anything and simply be there for his new family and if Megan and Drake wanted to accept him as their father, it would be their choice.

And they did. Sure, sometimes they called him "Walter," but he didn't care.

Though now - now "Dad" had become "Walter" permanently in Megan's eyes and he would be shocked if Drake ever spoke to him again.

He had gotten the perfect family; a beautiful, loving wife and three amazing children. And somehow they ended up here - a son in exile, a son and daughter who barely spoke to him and a wife who he fought with.

He loved his family. He was so sure that Audrey was the love of his life (he was still sure of it, dammit). He loved Josh the moment he had laid eyes on his infant son. And he loved Drake and Megan, not because he loved their mother, but he loved them like his own children. He loved them so much he wished they were his own children.

Walter knew Audrey knew that. After their second anniversary (after they had decided to stop trying for a baby and just let it happen) they talked about adopting each other's children. Though they had never brought it up to the children. Neither Walter nor Audrey were sure how Megan and Drake would react to changing their last name.

It didn't matter, Audrey had said, that they weren't legally parents of all three Parker-Nichols children because they all loved each other.

But where had love gotten them now? He thought of Drake as his son just as much as Josh.

His and Audrey's first argument had been after they found out … about Drake and Josh. Audrey had wanted to send Drake to her aunt's for a few weeks, but Walter knew you didn't send someone across the country for "a few weeks" in situations like these.

And so they had argued. Things that should have never been said were yelled.

"You're not his real father, Walter!"

He had been tempted to take Josh and just leave. But he couldn't. He still loved Audrey and he loved his children. All three of them.

He heard his wife's footsteps down the hall as she checked on their children.

They would make it through this somehow, Walter knew. He just didn't know how with parents who could barely talk anymore, with a daughter who was furious with them, with a son lost to the East Coast and a son lost down the hallway.
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Word Count:
862
Date Written: 3.24-25, 27-28.2007