Title: Breakfast in Bed
Author: SneetchesToo
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Ethan/Leanne
Summary: Ethan and Ariel have a surprise for Leanne.
Author's Note: After all the angst, this family needed some major loving.
—
Ethan hated that he had been unable to sleep after Ariel had crawled into bed with him and Leanne that morning. He was exhausted, beyond exhausted in fact. And yet, every time he closed his eyes they would pop right back open again. He guessed that maybe the fact that his daughter had just poured her heart and soul out to them was causing a little bit of friction in his already over busy head.
He also couldn't stop thinking about how dramatically their lives were about to change. They weren't just having one baby, no, they were having two babies. And while he knew that Leanne was healthy and doing well, he feared far more than he probably should have for her well being. He didn't know the details of her pregnancy with Caitlin, but ever since Rox had brought it up it had been haunting him. He couldn't bare the thought of losing her, or those babies, and he was having a difficult time wrapping his head around it all.
After realizing that sleep wasn't going to overcome him, he had crawled from the bed and headed downstairs. He watched TV for an hour or two before shutting it off and trying again to close his eyes. But once more, he had no luck. Instead he had spent an hour playing solitaire on his phone while listening to the sound of the rain falling against the patio doors. He had contemplated going upstairs and trying to get some work done, but he had dropped that thought when he realized just how much he wanted to forget about Angels until Monday morning rolled around.
"Dad?" He heard Ariel's voice before he saw her and he pushed himself into a sitting position as she rounded the corner into the den.
"Morning Angel." He offered her a smile as she stopped behind the couch. She looked much more well rested than he was sure he did.
"Morning." She whispered. He would never get over how young she still looked first thing in the morning.
"You sleep okay?" He hoped that she and Leanne had had better luck than he did falling asleep after their little chat.
"Yeah." She wiped at her eyes once more before turning and heading into the kitchen. He watched as she opened the refrigerator door, pulling out the orange juice bottle and placing it on the counter. "You?"
"Not really." He shrugged his shoulders when she shot him a look. He could tell that she was worried about him but he didn't want her to be. He wanted her to relax and to take it easy. She was just a kid. She didn't need to shoulder any of his burdens. "You want some breakfast?"
"Sure." Her voice was soft as she grabbed a cup, pouring herself her orange juice without another word.
He let out a sigh as he pushed himself up from the couch, moving into the kitchen with the teen. He started to pull out the ingredients he needed to make her scrambled eggs and bacon, her favorite breakfast, when he noticed her staring at him. He always found it endearing when Leanne watched him cook. However, he found it odd that his fourteen year old was staring at him like that.
"Wanna help?" He knew that she liked to cook. In fact, she was often Leanne's sous chef when they prepared dinner throughout the week. He, however, had never let her cook alongside him. Not for any particular reason either. She was fourteen, not four, it's not like she didn't know what the hell she was doing.
"Seriously?" Her eyes lit up as she stared back at him from her spot next to the fridge.
"Seriously." He said softly, his eyes softening as a giant smile came over her face.
He knew that his time with his little girl was fleeting. Especially his alone time with her. Once the twins got here he knew that it would be all about them, at least in the beginning. And while he was completely prepared to pull himself in three different directions for his kids, he didn't know that Ariel was quite ready to give up on her time with him just yet. He made a silent promise to himself, and to her, that he would make sure that this could be one of their things. Like their donut dates or their rock music jam sessions in the car. Twins or not, he wasn't going to give up the little things with his first born. Whether he had actually taken part in her creation or not.
"Of course!" She practically jumped from her spot and he couldn't help but chuckle at her excitement.
They worked alongside each other in a comfortable silence and he let out a soft sigh when he heard Leanne start to move around upstairs. He was praying that she would stay in bed long enough for them to surprise her with breakfast. He knew that she was finally starting to feel better and that having a good meal to start her day off with would help keep her in good spirits.
"Can I ask you a question?" Ariel's soft voice broke him from his thoughts and he turned toward her, his eyes wide at what she could possibly be questioning in that overthinking brain of hers.
"Sure kid." He flipped the bacon gently as he waited for her to talk. She took a deep breath and he braced himself for the worst.
"Did you guys actually plan this?" He blinked his eyes at her question. Had they planned what? "I mean. I get that you can't control that it's twins. But did you guys, you know, did you try for this?"
He let out a breath at her question. He honestly didn't know if Leanne was comfortable with this level of discussion, but once again, he would rather Ariel be open and honest with them, and them with her, than to learn things the hard way. He wasn't entirely sure what her knowledge of the birds and bees was, nor did he want to know, but he figured her question was innocent enough that he could skirt around the major details.
"Let's just say," He paused as he turned toward her. She was staring back at him with curious eyes and he was thankful that she wasn't silently judging him. Or that, at least, if she was, she was doing a damn good job of hiding it, "we didn't prevent it. If that makes sense."
"Oh. Okay." She nodded her head then and turned back toward her pan, pushing at the eggs with her spatula. "Makes sense."
"I know this is a lot for you kid." He reached out with his left hand and patted her arm softly. "We didn't do this to screw with you. Or to mess up your life. We want this."
"It's okay." She whispered. He could see her eyes tearing up and he felt that deep, nagging sense of regret fill his chest again. "I get it."
"Ariel." He pulled the last of the bacon from the pan just as she dumped the last of the eggs onto a plate and he turned toward her once his hands were empty. "Please don't think that we did this to hurt you."
"I don't." She wouldn't turn toward him and he felt horrible. He knew that she was struggling. In fact, he knew just exactly how she was struggling. He had been the exact same age as her when his half-sister had been born. And then he had been a senior in high school when his half-brother came along. He understood better than anyone how awkward this could be. How much this could hurt.
"We love you Angel." He reached out and pulled her toward him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders tightly. "We will always love you. This doesn't change that. It never will."
"Okay." He heard her whisper her words against his shoulder as she hugged him back, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist. "I love you too."
"Now, what do you say we surprise your mom with breakfast in bed?" He pulled back so that he could look her in the eyes and when she offered him a smile he felt his heart melt. She would always be his little girl and he would always love her in a way he could never love his other children. She had made him a father. She had dragged him out of the darkest hole in his life. She was always going to be important to him. And he prayed that she never forgot that.
"She's actually going to eat that?" Ariel raised an eyebrow at him and he couldn't help but laugh. "What about morning sickness?"
"Seems that we have passed that unholy part of the pregnancy." He was extremely thankful for that, and he knew that Leanne was too. She had pretty much stopped eating for a good three weeks and he had worried endlessly about her. "She hasn't felt sick in a few weeks."
"That's good." Ariel smiled at him softly and he turned his attention back toward the food.
"You're telling me." He started dividing everything up onto three separate plates, smiling when she started to help him before grabbing utensils and napkins. "I was really starting to miss being able to drink coffee in her presence. Or eat cheese anywhere near her. It's nice that she's getting back to normal."
"For now." He could hear the sarcasm in her voice and he couldn't help but laugh.
"For now." He knew that things were going to get worse before they got better. He had done his research. He had read up on what to expect. And while he knew that every woman and every pregnancy was different, he was doing his best to prepare for the months to come.
They quietly made their way upstairs, him with two plates, her with one, and they paused outside the door. He listened for any signs of movement inside and he was thankful when heard the soft sounds of the TV. At least that meant she was awake. Ariel opened the door slowly, her head peeking around the corner as she waited a second to walk in.
"Hi mom." She whispered and Ethan heard Leanne let out a chuckle as the teen pushed the door the rest of the way open.
"What are you two doing?" Leanne eyed them both softly, a smile on her face as she realized what they were holding in their hands.
"Bringing you breakfast in bed." Ethan couldn't help but offer her the biggest smile he could manage. He never in a million years thought that he would be lucky enough to bring his pregnant fiancé breakfast in bed. A breakfast that he had helped cook with his teenage daughter. He was the luckiest man alive and he would fight anyone who said otherwise.
"Why?" She raised an eyebrow as Ariel handed her a plate, then a napkin and fork, and he watched as the teen settled down next to her with a smile.
"Because we love you." She whispered, her eyes softening as Leanne reached out and pushed some hair back behind her ear.
"And we want to spoil you." He handed Ariel her plate then and he moved to sit beside Leanne as he offered her a wink.
"Well that's sweet of you," The smile on her face couldn't have been broken if they had tried, "both of you."
They ate in a comfortable silence, save for the morning news playing in the background, and when everyone was done he had taken their plates and carried them back downstairs. When he returned a few minutes later he felt his heart clench in his chest at the sight in front of him. Leanne had settled back against the headboard, her legs stretched out in front of her, and Ariel had tucked herself against her side, her head resting on her shoulder. They were whispering about something, and while Ethan wanted nothing more than to interrupt, he gave them their moment. When they seemed to be done, both of them going silent as their eyes focused back on the cooking show Leanne had changed it too, he pushed his way back into the room, moving to sit on the edge of the bed as he eyed them both softly.
"Can I ask you guys a question?" Ariel's soft voice broke through the silence and they both turned their attention toward her. "It might be kind of silly though."
"Of course sweetie." Leanne brushed some of the girl's hair aside as she pushed herself back into a sitting position, her legs moving to cross in front of her as she eyed them with curious eyes. "What's up?"
"Do you guys have pictures?" She whispered. "Of the babies I mean. From your doctor's visit?"
"Yeah." Ethan felt his heart swell at her question. He never imagined that she would ask to see them. He was certain that they were going to have to fight her on that end. "They're in the office. I'll go grab them."
"You want to see them?" He heard Leanne ask as he made his way back down the hall, the small white envelop in his hands.
"Yeah. I feel bad, for what I said about them." She let out a soft sniffle and he couldn't help but move around to her side of the bed, pulling her into his arms as he dropped a kiss to her head. "I don't hate them. At all. I love them, a lot. And I know that they won't know who I am for a while but I still want to get to know them."
"Oh Ariel." He could see the tears in Leanne's eyes and he reached out with his free hand to rub her leg. "They're gonna know from day one that you're their big sister. And they're going to love you so much. Don't you worry about that."
"Here kid." He reached down then, grabbing the envelop from it's spot by his leg. He handed it to the teen with a smile and he couldn't help but chuckle when she took it eagerly. "There's a lot of them."
"So there's really two of them in there?" She asked after a minute of staring at the black and white images in front of her. He had looked at those pictures so many times over the last few days and yet he still couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that they were going to have two babies.
"Really." He said softly, squeezing her shoulders as she spoke.
"How does that even work?" Leanne let out a chuckle at her words and he guessed that maybe they hadn't gone into that much detail about the birds and the bees.
"Well, your mom's gonna be huge for one thing." He honestly couldn't wait for her to get an honest to God baby bump. He thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world now. He couldn't wait to see how gorgeous she was with a round stomach.
"Not funny Ethan!" Although, he suspected, that maybe she wasn't as excited about that thought as he was.
"Are they healthy?" Ariel's question sent his heart into a panic. He prayed that they were healthy. Healthy beyond belief. He wanted his kids to be safe, and he wanted their mother to be safe as well.
"They're small." Leanne whispered as she reached out for one of the pictures. She pointed to the image of the two of them side by side in her stomach as she tried to explain to Ariel the best that she could. "Baby B, the one on the bottom, is a little smaller than the other. But their heartbeats were strong and I'm healthy, so they aren't concerned."
"They're so tiny." She whispered. He smiled at her when she lifted her eyes up to him.
"That they are." He whispered back. And they were. Even though Leanne was nearly 17 weeks they were still measuring small. But he trusted the specialist at Leanne's doctor's office and he trusted that the woman knew what she was doing.
"You don't even look pregnant." Leanne rolled her eyes at the teen's words. Rox had said the same thing to her the other day and Ethan had laughed. She may not have looked pregnant with clothing on, but he had definitely noticed a little bump. An adorable little bump, but a bump nonetheless. "At least, not that pregnant."
"Give it another month honey." Ethan smiled when Leanne patted the teen's leg with a soft chuckle. "Then it'll definitely show."
"What do you think it's gonna be?" She pulled one of the pictures up so that she could look at it more closely, like she was trying to figure out just what was growing in there.
"One of each." Leanne whispered with a smile. "That's my hope anyway."
"Dad?" Ariel turned her eyes toward him once more and he leaned down to drop a kiss to her forehead before answered get her question.
"Same." And he prayed that it was one of each. A little girl with Leanne's crazy curls and beautiful smile. A little boy with his gray eyes and determination. He hoped that they would be best-friends too. "But I'm thinking probably two girls. Lord knows I'd luck out in that department."
"I think it's one of each too." She said softly, her head falling to his shoulder. "We need a little boy around here."
"Thank you!" He knew that he was a little too excited about that fact, but he was thankful that someone other than him wanted a son for this family of his. "Finally someone who agrees with me."
"Who else knows?" He could hear the slight hint of jealousy in the girl's quiet voice. He knew that she should have been the first person they told.
"Rox." Leanne whispered as she settled a hand on the teen's arm. "And your grandfather. And Jesse of course."
"What do they say?" Ariel's voice changed from angry to curious in a matter of seconds and he was glad that she was doing her best to roll with this.
"Rox says two girls." He wasn't the least bit shocked to learn that.
"Of course she does." He groaned out. It would be just like Rox to damn him to tutu and princess hell for the rest of his life. "She wants me to suffer."
"Jesse says two boys." He wasn't shocked by that statement either.
"Now that would just be unfair." He couldn't imagine twin boys. He didn't want that kind of drama in his life. He and Jack had only been three years apart, and his step-brothers were only ten months apart. Both sets of them had been a holy terror on his dad and Christine growing up. Not that they hadn't deserved the hell they had been put through sometimes.
"What about Grandpa?" He smiled at her question. He loved that she had started calling his dad Grandpa. And while it was definitely taking some getting used to, for all of them, it made his heart melt every time.
"He says one of each too." Ethan whispered. His dad had shocked him when he had told him that. He didn't think his father really cared much. But he was learning more and more that his father was just a little lost in it all. That he did want to care. That he did want to be a part of his life. Especially now that he had grandchildren on the way.
"I hope it's a boy and a girl." She whispered, a small smile coming over her face. "But I'll love them either way."
"Good." Ethan smiled at Leanne's response. "And they're going to love you so much it's going to make you sick."
"Kind of like you guys?" She rolled her eyes when Leanne leaned forward and started trying to press kisses against her head.
"Worse than us." He said softly, his arm tightening around her as he tugged her into his side.
"Ugh." She tried to pull away from him but it didn't last. Instead she settled against his side with a soft sigh. "Do you guys think I'm cut out for this?" She whispered softly, her eyes shifting from his face to hers.
"Cut out for what?" Leanne asked quietly, her hands settling against the girl's cheeks as she eyed her softly.
"For being a big sister." He almost didn't hear her words but they brought tears to his eyes nonetheless. If there was anyone in this world who would be able to handle being a big sister it was Ariel. Of that he was certain.
"Of course you are honey." He whispered, his lips pressing against her head as he spoke. "You're gonna be the best big sister ever. And I can guarantee that they're going to think the world of you."
"It's a little weird." She whispered. He knew it was weird. Really, really weird. But he didn't want that to stop her from embracing this.
"We know honey." Leanne dropped her forehead against the teen's with a soft sigh.
"I mean… I'll be in college and they'll still be in preschool." He couldn't help but chuckle at her words. He had been in her shoes once. He had signed up for the Army when his baby brother was only a few months old. He would never get over how awkward it had been it explain when he had moved into his bunk. Everyone on campus was convinced the kid was his for a good year and a half.
"It'll be okay Angel." He whispered. "Trust me. Personal experience. It won't be as awkward as you think."
"You promise?" He wished that he could tell her that it wouldn't be awkward at all, but he didn't want to make a habit of lying to her.
"We promise." He dropped a kiss to her head as he hugged her tightly. "Once they're here you'll see honey. It's going to be okay."
"Do you have names picked out yet?" Her question once again shocked him and he lifted his eyes up to meet with Leanne's.
"We haven't even thought of that." She whispered, her head pulling back from the teen's as she took a breath. "We were waiting to see what we were having."
"Makes sense." Ariel didn't seem phased by their response and he was thankful. Rox had been on his ass about names for the past two days and he had done everything in his power to convince the woman that they were not naming their children after her.
"Why? You have any suggestions?" He was curious to hear them if she did though. His dad had offered his input, and surprisingly, his options hadn't sucked.
"No. Just curious." She shrugged her shoulders as she smiled back at them. "I find it fascinating how people pick out their baby names."
"Well, if you get any ideas, please let us know." Lord knew it was probably going to be difficult enough if it was left just up to them. He had his favorites, but he didn't want to step on Leanne's toes when it came to such a thing.
"I will. I promise." She whispered, a yawn escaping her lips as she snuggled closer to his side.
"We love you kid." He whispered back, his head falling to rest on top of hers as he let out a soft sigh.
"I love you guys too." He had never felt like she had spoken truer words in the entire time he had known her.
He felt like she was finally coming around to the idea of these babies coming into their lives. And he prayed that things would slowly start to work out for them. He hoped that having their full attention on her for an entire weekend would do the trick and would help get her out of whatever funk she had fallen into. Because he missed the old Ariel and he wanted her back. And he knew that her siblings would much rather appreciate the old version as well.
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