Title: Waiting

Author: SneetchesToo

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Ethan/Leanne

Summary: Leanne knew it was for the best that she wait as long as possible to meet her two precious babies, but after the scare they had given her, she was just ready to have them both in her arms.

Author's Note: Because I can't help myself with the angst here guys.

The last thing Leanne remembered was Ariel asking her what kind of ice cream she wanted. And then everything from there on out had been a blur. She vaguely remembered riding in an ambulance and Jesse holding her hand and something about the babies being in distress. But most of it, most of it was all bits and pieces that didn't make much sense at all. She guessed that maybe that was probably part of the reason why her head hurt so damn bad. That and she guessed that the oxygen she was being given had something to do with it.

She forced her eyes open slowly, taking in her surroundings, and she let out a sigh when she realized that she was in a hospital room. A hospital room at Angels. And she wasn't alone. Ethan was sitting on her right side, her hand clutched tightly in his, his body slouched down in his seat. Ariel was also there, sitting on her left side, her head resting on the bed next to her hip. She could tell that they had both been crying and she instantly felt her heart stop in her chest. She hoped and prayed that nothing had happened to her babies.

Reaching out, she gently let her left hand land against the girl's head, running her fingers gently through her still damp hair. She watched as she stirred a little, her eyes blinking lazily as she lifted her head. She couldn't help but smile up at the girl when a similar smile quickly took over the girl's face.

"Mom!" The girl reached forward then, doing her best to wrap her in a hug, and she couldn't help but wrap her left arm around her tightly as Ariel's head fell to her shoulder.

"Hi baby." She pressed a gentle kiss against the girl's blonde locks and she turned her head when she heard Ethan stir beside her.

"Leanne?" He squeezed her hand gently and she squeezed back, reassuring his still sleepy form that she was there with him. She watched as he opened his eyes, staring back at her with nothing but love, and she felt tears form in her eyes. "Oh thank God."

She watched as he stood then, reaching out to gather them both in his arms, pressing kisses to both of their heads as he held them tight. She couldn't help herself from letting out a sob as he buried his face against her neck, his tears hitting her skin as he sobbed softly. She instantly feared the worst.

"Ezra? Grace?" She could tell that she had most certainly not given birth, but she didn't know if that meant that they were still alive and kicking or not.

"They're okay." It was Ariel who whispered those much needed words against her shoulder and she squeezed the girl tightly in her arms.

"Ethan?" She watched as they both pulled back, Ariel wiping at her tears with her shirt sleeve as Ethan scrubbed at his face with his palms. "Please Ethan. Tell me they're okay."

"Ezzie's fine." He took a deep breath as he let his nickname for their son slip from his lips. They still hadn't told anyone their name choices, not even Ariel, but she guessed that cat was out of the bag at this point.

"And Grace?" She prayed and prayed that her daughter was okay. She had been small from the start and Leanne had always feared that something bad would happen to her before she entered the world. "Is Gracie okay?"

"She's struggling Lea." She could tell that Ethan was barely holding on and she let out a sob as she reached her hand down to her stomach. Grace had always been the less active one. She had always figured she just didn't feel her because she was so small. Now she guessed that maybe there was more going on with her than she realized. "Her heartbeat is irregular. They thought…" He took a deep breath as he dropped his hand on top of hers, resting it against her stomach as he tried to hold back his tears. "They thought they'd lost her for a minute there."

"But she's okay now?" She watched as Ariel moved around to the other side of the bed, wrapping her arms tightly around her father's waist. Ethan wrapped his free arm around her, tucking her against his side with a kiss to her head.

"They're keeping a close eye on her." He squeezed her hand gently as he closed his eyes. "She's not out of the woods yet. None of you are."

She couldn't help it as another sob took over her body and she wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up in bed with her fiancé and her daughter and have everything be just fine. Ariel must have sensed her need, because she pulled from Ethan's grasp and moved to climb into the bed beside her. Ethan gently tucked them both in and she couldn't help but wrap her free arm around her daughter's trembling shoulders, her lips pressing a kiss to her temple as she hugged her close.

"You two get some sleep." He whispered. He looked like he hadn't slept in days and she knew that that part was probably incredibly true. "It's late."

"What about you?" She whispered back. Ariel had already settled into her side and was starting to doze off and she didn't want to disturb her.

"I'm gonna see if I can find Noa. Find out what else we can do." He offered her a soft smile and she did her best to return it. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay." She felt a yawn escape her mouth and she snuggled closer to the girl, her eyes falling closed as she felt sleep start to take over. "I love you Ethan."

"I love you too baby." He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her head, his lips lingering there as he whispered to her. "I love all of you, so very, very much."

He pressed another kiss to her head before moving to do the same to Ariel's, a soft 'I love you Angel' leaving his lips as he brushed her hair back from her face. He stood up then and she heard him shuffle around the room before she heard the door open and shut quietly. She tried to reopen her eyes then but exhaustion won over and the next thing she knew she was falling asleep to the sound of two regular heart beats, and one beating a beat all of it's own.

When Leanne awoke a few hours later there was a soft light filtering in through the blinds of her window. She was silently thankful for an outside room, the little bit of sunlight from outside doing wonders for her soul. She felt Ariel stir a little next to her, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she tried to settle herself back down. She pressed a kiss against the teen's head, squeezing her shoulders gently as she offered her a soft hush. She couldn't imagine how terrified the girl must be feeling right now. Probably almost as terrified as she was.

"Mom?" The girl's voice was barely a whisper, and she felt her settle a gentle hand on her stomach. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay baby." She whispered back, her fingers dragging over the girl's arm lightly. She was so incredibly grateful for a daughter with such a big heart.

"Are the babies okay?" She watched as Ariel blinked her eyes a few times before opening them fully, her gaze shifting upward toward the monitor.

"They seem much calmer than they were earlier." And she wasn't lying. Even Grace's heart rate had slowly started to even out a little.

"Good." The teen dropped her head back down to her shoulder and snuggled herself closer as she closed her eyes once more.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" She knew that while this was hard on all of them, Ariel was the one least likely to know how to handle this kind of stress. Her and Ethan could put all of their focus and worry into her and the babies, and each other, but she didn't have much of anything, or anyone, to fill that void.

"I'm okay." Her voice was soft and Leanne could tell that she was trying not to cry. She didn't want the girl to hold it all in though. She wanted her to be honest with herself, and with her, and just let it all out if she needed too.

"We can talk if you need to honey." She pressed a kiss against her forehead and she felt the teen nod her head softly.

"Okay." She whispered, her hand stilling itself right above where she knew little Gracie's head was.

Leanne had never doubted that Ariel would be a good big sister, never in a million years. Not even after she had screamed horrible things to them after finding out about her future siblings. She knew that she would love these two endlessly, even if she tried to act like she didn't care. But she especially knew that she had already started to form a special bond with little Gracie, that she was already starting to love the idea of having a best-friend in her. Even with fifteen years between them.

"I guess your dad told you their names huh?" She was curious to know what the girl thought of their choices. They hadn't told anyone what they had picked, and she was worried that they would receive blowback from some person or another. Not that it would change their minds, never in a million years.

"Not really." Her voice was soft as she lifted her head a little, her eyes settling on hers as she offered her a soft smile. "I like what I heard though."

"Good." She offered her daughter a smile as she hugged her a little tighter.

"Grace and Ezra. I like those names." Her smile reached her eyes and Leanne could see the excitement behind her dark orbs. "What are their middle names?"

"Grace Sophia and Ezra Jack." Every time Leanne said their names she felt her heart skip a beat. She couldn't wait to finally put faces to those names.

"They're named after some pretty important people aren't they?" She knew her daughter was smart, but damn did she catch on quick.

"Grace is for Rox and Noa, it's their middle name. And Sophia was your grandmother's name." She couldn't help the smile that came over her face at the mention of Ethan's mother. He had slowly started opening up to her more after they decided to use her name for their daughter.

"Dad's mom?" Her eyes twinkled in the low light of the room and she could see the slight pride in them. She knew that Ethan had shared more details of his mom with the girl than he had with her. And she was perfectly okay with.

"Yeah." She smiled at her softly and she saw the tears starting to return to her eyes. She just wanted them all to stop crying. Not unless they were happy tears because they were all going to be okay.

"Dad says I remind him of her." She whispered. Ethan had never shared that tidbit of information with her but it made her heart swell. She always believed that everything happened for a reason, no matter what that reason might be or how hard it might to be accept it. She guessed that maybe Ariel coming into Ethan's life had been a way for him to connect with the woman who had once been his everything. "Grandpa says it too."

"I'm sure you do love." She couldn't help but press a kiss against her forehead once more. She felt more tears come to her eyes and she tried to blink them away. "From what I understand she was a strong, intelligent woman. Just like you."

Ariel let out a soft sob as she snuggled closer, her head burying itself against her neck. She reached up then, tangling her fingers through the girl's hair as she tried to soothe her. They stayed that way for a while, both crying softly to themselves. It was Ariel's soft voice that broke through the silence of the room, her head pulling back once more so that she could lock eyes with her mother.

"What about Ezra Jack? Where did that come from?" She could see the anticipation in the teen's eyes and she couldn't help but offer a smile.

"Ezra was my father's name." She whispered softly. Her father had been a strong man, the strongest she had ever known. Until she met Ethan of course. And he had been her best-friend. He had been gone for almost eighteen years and she missed him every single day. She wished that he could have seen her life now, with Ethan and Ariel and these babies on the way. She hoped and prayed that she was making him proud.

"And Jack?" Their was a twinkle in Ariel's eyes that told her that the girl knew exactly where that name came from.

"Your grandpa." The smile that came across her face made Leanne's heart skip a beat. She was thankful that Jack had stepped up and taken such a big role in their lives, especially in the teen's. She knew that they had developed a special bond over the last few months and she prayed that the girl got plenty of time to get to know him. "And your uncle Jack."

"Dad must be proud." She whispered.

"He is baby." She pressed another kiss to her hair and she sent a silent 'thank you' up above for bringing this amazing girl into her life. "He's proud of all of you."

"I just want everything to be okay." She felt the girl snuggle closer once more and she hugged her as tight as she could.

"I know sweetheart." And she did know, because that was all she wanted too.

Ethan had reappeared at her side about an hour after her discussion with Ariel, and he had escorted the teen out into the hallway where they stayed for a good ten minutes. She heard them both head off in the direction of the elevator and when Rox appeared at her side a few minutes later she instantly started badgering her with questions. None of which Rox had an answer to. They had sat and chatted for a bit before she had started to doze off and the woman had declared that she needed to get back downstairs. Leanne was asleep before she had even made it the door.

When she awoke a little while later she wasn't alone, and she was pleasantly surprised to see that her fiancé was sitting at her bedside once again. Reaching out, she gently ran her hand along his arm, causing him to stir from his nap. He offered her a soft smile as he leaned forward, reaching out to brush her hair back.

"Hi love." He whispered as he cupped her cheek gently. She had missed him terribly and she would have given anything to have been able to curl up with him in bed right now.

"Hi." She whispered back. She let her hand reach out to cup his cheek as well, her fingers brushing over his longer-than-normal stubble. She thought he looked both adorable, and ridiculous, with the extra growth on his face.

"How you feel?" He turned his head and pressed a kiss against her palm as he offered her a smile.

"Better." And she truly was starting to feel more like herself. She wasn't in nearly as much pain as she had been in before and she was thankful that the babies had both seemed to calm down some since yesterday afternoon.

"Good." He leaned back in his chair and she watched as a yawn escaped his lips. She couldn't imagine how exhausted he must be. Taking care of her and Ariel, on top of all the work he had been doing, she knew that he was running himself ragged. "How are the babies doing?"

"They seem better too." She offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "They're much calmer than they were yesterday."

"Thank God." He moved to sit next to her then, taking her hand gently between his as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"What's wrong Ethan?" She knew something was up, that something must have happened earlier. That would explain his talk with Ariel in the hallway, and why neither one of them had returned to her while she was still awake.

"They're putting you on bedrest Leanne." She could live with that. A few days of doing absolutely nothing would be nice. She knew that Ethan and Ariel could take care of the house. And she knew that Rox and Jack would step in and help out with Ariel if need be.

"That's fine Ethan." She smiled back at him but she noticed that he didn't return it.

"Until the babies get here." His voice was so soft that she barely heard him but she felt her heart stop in her chest. "Their goal is to get you to at least 36 weeks, no less than 30."

"But…" That meant she had anywhere from 5-10 weeks of laying in bed doing nothing. She couldn't fathom spending that much time being lazy. "Ariel has school Ethan. We have jobs. We can't just stop…"

"It's the only way they'll let you leave the hospital." He whispered. She could see the tears forming in his eyes. She knew that he was struggling with the prospect of essentially having to parent their teenager alone, and run the house, alone. "If you don't agree to take it easy and stay on complete bed rest, they're keeping you here."

"But…" She wanted to argue but she knew she couldn't. She had been on bed rest for three weeks with Caitlin, she knew exactly what to expect and she knew just how important it was for these babies to do the same.

"Leanne please." He squeezed her hand tightly as he pleaded with her. "Please. They need this. They need you to be okay. And Ariel and I need you to be okay." He let out a soft sob and it was the first time that she had seen him break down in a long time. "We'll make this work. We have to."

"But how?" She swallowed as she felt a sob of her own form in her throat. She wanted to be home and with her family more than anything in this world. But she didn't understand how they would get through this.

"Ariel and Rox are at the house now. They're getting things cleaned up and trying to make it easier for you to get around." He took a deep breath as he offered her a soft smile. "We're gonna move our bed into the den so that you can be close to the kitchen and still have the bathroom nearby. Rox is gonna stay in our room and my dad's gonna crash in the office." She felt the tears starting to run down her cheeks at the prospect of having her best-friend and her future father-in-law living with them in order to help out. "That way there's someone there to help you and someone there to help with Ariel, especially when I have to work."

"They can't…" She didn't expect them to give up their lives just to be there for her.

"They are Leanne." He squeezed her hand once more as he blinked back his own tears. "It's already been settled." He offered her another smile as he leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead. "Noa wants to keep you one more night, but tomorrow you'll be home and we'll have the house ready by then, I promise."

"Ethan…" She felt herself starting to panic at the prospect of going home. Not because she didn't want too, but because she realized just how close they could be to bringing home their babies. "We don't have anything ready for them."

"I know love." He let out a soft breath as he threaded his fingers through hers. "Mario and Jesse are going to come over this weekend and help. And Noa too. We're gonna get the nursery done and whatever other projects that we need to finish. My dad's going Thursday to get the car seats from that place you liked and Rox is gonna take Ariel to pick out fabric so that Emo can make the sheets and curtains and all that other stuff you wanted." His eyes started to fill with even more tears and she couldn't help it when her eyes did the same. "We're gonna make this work and we're gonna have everything ready for them so that when they come home everything is perfect."

"If…" She hated to say it. She didn't want to be that person. She didn't want to let her fear win out. "If Ethan."

"When, Lea." He dropped his head down then, pressing his forehead against hers as he squeezed her hand as tight as he could. "When they come home. Everything will be waiting for them and everything will be okay."

"You promise?" She choked out, a sob wracking through her body as her free hand moved to rest on her stomach. She wanted them to stay in there as long as possible, to grow as much as they could and to be as ready as they could. But she wanted to meet them so badly that it hurt. Especially when she thought that she had lost them. Especially when she knew that she still could.

"I promise." He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips then, his right hand moving to tangle in her curls as he held her close. She could tell that he was feeling just as much fear as she was and she hated it. She just wanted things to be okay. She wanted to go home and return to a normal life and she wanted to meet her twins and have them be happy and healthy. She just wanted everything to be okay. And she was tired of waiting for it to happen.

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