Danny was in his room packing a bag. Daniel was helping.
"Hey Dee Jay daddy needs 3 socks. 1,2,3"
"Won too fee sox!" Daniel said happily.
"That's my boy." Danny said.
Daniel handed him the socks. Then carried on handing him more.
"That's enough son." Danny picked him up from the floor and blew raspberries on his cheek. Daniel giggled and scrunched up his face.
"Where Am Am?" Daniel asked.
Am Am was Amie Amanda abbreviated.
"Am Am with mummy at doctors. She'll be back soon.
"Where Le…Le…Leeiy?"
Danny smiled at his son's face frowning with concentration trying to say Lexi.
"She's in her room son."
"Eean?"
"He's away but he'll be back some time today." he looked at his son. Amazed at the resemblance. All except the eyes and hair. The child was all him completely. The Alice touches were there though. Which made him better looking than he would ever be! All his kids inherited a little bit of Alice glamour. Bt Amie. She is Alice! Completely. Back hair. Blue eyes. Her face. Smiles everything! Where he had dominated with Lexi she had dominated with Lexi. She was gorgeous just like her mother. The people in question walked in. a distraught Amie in her arms.
"Dada." Amie said and thrust her arms to him as soon as she saw him. Her blue eyes swam.
Needle? He mouthed. Alice nodded.
"Momma!" Daniel shouted and wiggled to be down. He put Daniel down and took his daughter.
"Aw Amie was the doctor naughty?" he lay her head on his shoulder and rocked her. "Daddy go bash them huh?" she sniffled and put her thumb in her mouth. She was so tiny compared to Daniel having inherited Alice's height. He rubbed her back and her eyes closed.
"She's all for you! Screamed da da all the way home."
"My daughters do seem to be like that. Lex was the same. But Daniel is definitely a mummy's boy."
Amie was limp on his shoulder. He laid her in her cot and pressed a kiss to her head.
"What's with the bag?" Alice asked.
"Daniel is helping daddy pack. Aren't you son."
Daniel smiled. "Won too fee sox!" he repeated.
"That's it Dee Jay gimmie five!"
Daniel frowned at 5.
Danny took his hand opened it and hi-fived his son.
Daniel smiled. "Fife, fife!" he said happily bouncing in Alice's arms.
"He's so clever for his age you know Danny. He counted to seven the other day. Lining up his cars. Recognises numbers up to 5. Can sing most nursery rhymes now with only slight prompts. This type of stuff doesn't usually display till 3 and half 4 years old. Well it didn't with Lexi anyway. He's only turned 2."
"He's my boy!" Danny said proudly. Ruffling his black hair. Pulled a pair of jeans from his wardrobe.
"I repeat Danny what's with the bag?"
"I booked myself onto a flight to Bristol. I phoned Ethan's solicitor yesterday. And he thought it would be good if Ethan could talk at the panel about keeping his mums killer in prison. I haven't been able to get in touch with him and he's not due home till tonight. At least that's what I think I'm not sure. Anyway I can't risk it. I phoned this morning and his solicitor said the best next people would be me or you. The only available flight goes out in 2 hours time. I'm gonna take all our documents. Along with the stuff from the therapist he saw when he was younger. You know documenting what he was like when he first came to us and now that's he settled. His fathers release could be detrimental to his progress. The panel meeting is tomorrow. I have to get there in time."
"And you never thought to discuss this with me?" she snapped putting Daniel down.
"You weren't here!" he said and zipped his bag.
"Yeah so you jump on your white horse and gallop off to save the day!"
"There was no time Alice. I had to make a decision!"
"I agree but you don't make those decisions without consulting me!" she fumed.
"You weren't here!" he repeated angrily. "Look I've got a plane to catch!"
He picked his son up. "Be good for momma. You're the man of the house while I'm gone ok!" he said smiling in a serious tone.
"Fife!" Dee Jay said.
"Five!" Danny said. "Good man!"
He went to kiss Alice. She took a step back. "Goodbye Danny."
He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to it before she could pull away.
"I'll phone you when I'm on the flight!"
He left the room. Alice heard him walk into Lexi's room. Kiss her and tell her he'll see her in a few days. 3 tops.
She heard Lexi say ok and that she loved him.
"C'mon lil man we'll get you a drink sorted." she flicked the baby monitor on and attached hers to her belt.
At the mention of a drink Daniel did his potty dance. "Potty momma! Then euice."
Ok son. She walked him into the bathroom. That was another thing he was good with. They had only started him on the training pants and it clicked in the first month. He had the occasional accident but he was doing great.
(X)
Ethan arrived at leopards den. It was quiet. He had hid out at the gym till 6 o'clock but he had to go home. It was quiet so grabbed the biggest bag he could find and put all his tracksuit bottoms and a few pairs of his jeans. All his t-shirts and jumpers but no dress shirts. Filled it with his underwear and socks too. Spare trainers too. CD's. laptop. He left his mobile though after phoning a taxi. He walked into the study and grabbed his passport. He'd decided to travel for a while. He had money saved. Do some soul searching and hopefully get over this infatuation he and Lexi had. He walked out of the study straight into Lexi. She saw him smiled and pulled him close.
"Hey." she said smiling and kissed him. Butterflies pooled in her stomach. "I've missed you. But we got a little time alone for once."
"Lex come in my room. We need to talk." he said gravely.
"This sounds ominous!" she said worriedly.
He sat her on his bed and paced. He stopped and looked at her. "Look Lex, I think it would be best if we had a break." he told her softly.
"Your breaking up with me? What? Why?" she asked voice wobbling.
"Lex all we do is argue and I hate it! Sometimes we don't even know what we're arguing for!. I love you I do but I'm not gonna fight with you all the time!"
"But we always make up."
"And we fight again. Sometimes only hours later! Do you really want that? Do you wanna spend our time screaming so much that we hate the sight of each other?"
"No but…"
"But nothing Lex. I've decided I'm gonna go travelling for a bit. Figure out what I'm gonna do with my life. I shouldn't be long 6 months a year maybe."
"No Ethan you can't leave now! I need you! You don't understand I'm…"
They herd the beep of a taxi so he interrupted her. "Sorry Lex I've made my decision. I'll call you maybe. Bye."
He walked passed her grabbed his bag and left the house. Climbed din the car.
"Ethan NO!" she said and followed him. Her brain screamed at her to yell to him about the baby. She opened her mouth but no sound emerged.
She stood at the top of the veranda. Watched the car pull away.
"Ethan." she whispered. "My period is late. I'm pregnant."
It made no difference. He never heard her. Her hand was rested on her still flat stomach as the taxi disappeared taking the father of her child with it. She suddenly felt very afraid of what the future held.
"Don't worry." she whispered. More to herself than the baby. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was pregnant and alone. Her face turned to one of fierce dislike. "I hate you for this Ethan!" she yelled.
Ethan climbed from the taxi and withdrew his money at the Jo'burg bank. Headed towards the airport. His heart felt heavy. There's till time to go home Ethan. You don't have to leave her. Just go home. Say sorry and everything will be fine! But he couldn't. coz that would mean telling Lexi the truth about what he did to her. About his father. And he couldn't do that! Plus he had a score to settle! He spotted a phone and decided to ring Leopards Den. Say goodbye to Alice.
"Leopards Den." Alice said as she picked the phone up.
"Leads Den." Daniel parroted. Ethan smiled.
"Hey Alice it's Ethan."
"O hello son. How'd your match go? I thought you'd be home by now actually."
Ethan thought back with disgust at his loss of control and then after with some girl. "Alice I'm at the airport. I've decided to go travelling."
"What!" Alice exclaimed.
"Look I know about the business with my dad. My head is just all over. I'll write and send postcards I promise. I love you all."
"Ethan promise me you won't go to Bristol please!" Alice pleaded.
He heard his flight announced.
"Alice my flight has been announced. I'll be in touch bye!" He said and disconnected.
"But where you…." Alice heard the dial tone.
Ethan walked towards the terminal. He had stuff to do here. Then maybe after a year or something he'll go back. He just had stuff to sort out. His life included!
(X)
It was 10 o'clock and the house was empty apart from her and the kids. Lexi brooded in her room., obviously having spoke to Ethan. Liv was in her room too. Her gran had asked her if she wanted to live with her and dupe at Okoto's but Liv wanted to stay at leopards den which was fine with Alice and Danny. Alice heard the phone ring.
She ran and picked it up.
"Ethan!" she asked panicked.
"No it's Danny."
"O Danny hello honey."
"What's up Alice?"
"It's Ethan. He phoned me from the airport a few hours ago. He's going travelling and he hasn't told anyone where he's going!"
"Alice honey he's a man now. If it gives me perspective then it might be good for him!"
"yeah and he's away from Lexi too!" She replied nastily.
"I didn't say that!" Danny told her defensibly.
"You didn't have to. Danny admit it you never fully accepted their relationship!"
"Alice please I don't wanna argue. I phoned to apologise. I understand I have a save the day complex. But I'm not sorry for leaving. Ethan would be a wreck if his dad got out. I'm gonna put a stop to it!" Danny said stubbornly. "I was just listening to a snow patrol song and it just hit home that I hate arguing with you. He murmured the words to the verse of the song called make this go on forever.
Please don't let this turn into something it's not
I can only give you everything I've got
I can't be as sorry as you think I should
But I still love you more than anyone else could
All that I keep thinking throughout this whole flight
Is it could take my whole damn life to make this right
This splintered mast I'm holding on won't save me long
Because I know fine well that what I did was wrong
The last girl and the last reason to make this last for as long as I could
First kiss and the first time that I felt connected to anything
The weight of water, the way you told me to look past everything I had ever learned
The final word in the final sentence you ever uttered to me was love
"Oh I know honey. I didn't mean it either. I guess we've just been getting on each others nerves a little. It happens to everyone. We'll get through it. I mean we've been married for nearly 15 years and I can count on one hand how many times we've had a serious argument so I guess we were due."
"I know I love you and I know you love me too. And we'll have fun making up when I get back."
"I have more pressing things." Alice said.
"Like?" he asked.
"How I'm gonna sleep without you tonight."
"That I can't help you with. But it's only for one and half nights. The half comes from the fact that I arrive back in Jo'burg at 1 o'clock in the morning not tomorrow but the next day."
He looked at the flashing light on the phone.
"I'm sorry honey I gotta go. The phones beeping feed me and I don't have any more change. I won't phone you when I land as it'll be like 2 in the morning on your end. And you have Amie and Daniel. Not to mention Lexi and we both know she ain't a morning person. I'll phone you before the meeting. I'll definitely try anyway. Love you Alice."
"Love you too Danny."
The phone disconnected. Alice walked into their room and changed into her pyjamas. Checked to make sure the 2 little ones were fast asleep as Daniel was known to wake up at odd times. Nope both asleep. So she climbed into bed and lay on her stomach. Danny's pillow under her head. It smelled like his shampoo. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. It was still a while before sleep claimed her.
A/N the danice have made up. danny is adorable aint he. awww cute. but eth had gone poor lex. :(