Title: Mystery Woman

Author: SneetchesToo

Rating: General

Pairing: Ethan/Rox

Summary: Rox was confused as to why a mystery woman was asking about her boyfriend, and very intensely at that.

Author's Note: Here starts another angsty arc.

Rox had had a rollercoaster of a week.

Between work and Ethan and Ariel going back to school, she was just downright exhausted.

And she was so ready for things to just calm down and go back to normal.

She should have known that wouldn't happen.

She should have known that things were too good to be true.

And all of her hopes and dreams were crushed one afternoon when she saw some strange woman wandering around the halls of Angels.

She heard the woman asking about Ethan.

Looking for him and wondering what he was up to.

She had the feeling that the woman was up to no good.

And it scared her.

After a good hour of watching the woman ask question after question Rox finally cornered Jesse at the nurse's station and asked the question she had been dying to get an answer too.

"Who is that?" She asked softly, her eyes searching Jesse's face for any hint as to what his answer would be.

"Her name's Sarah." He said with a sigh. "That's all I know."

"Why is she here?" She wasn't impressed with Jesse's lack of knowledge about the woman.

"Don't know." He shrugged his shoulders as he handed the chart in his hands over to the nurse behind the counter.

"Why is she looking for Ethan?" She probably wasn't supposed to know that the woman was searching for her boyfriend, but she had overheard her ask for Ethan three separate times.

"Don't know that one either." He turned to face her and she sighed again.

"Jesse..." She dragged out the head nurse's name, hoping to get to him so that she could get an answer to her question.

"What?" He didn't seem phased by her though and it bugged her.

Normally she had a much stronger impact on the man.

"You're normally so much better informed than this." She said softly, offering him a little smile.

"Yes, well normally I can be nosy," He returned her smile as he reached out and gripped her shoulders softly, "but it's hard to be stealthy when it comes to Ethan."

"Don't I know it." She knew that the man kept his life relatively private, sometimes even from her, and it was hard to get information if you weren't super close to him.

"Look Rox, I'm sure everything's okay." He said reassuringly. "Go home, get some rest. I'll let him know to call you when he's done."

But she wasn't reassured and she didn't want to go home.

She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

"Thanks Jesse." But she knew that she couldn't stand around Angels forever.

"No worries chica." He squeezed her arms gently before stepping away from her and returning to a nearby patient.

She let out a soft sigh as she watched the woman in question, or, Sarah, as Jesse had so nonchalantly referred to her as, stop Leanne just outside her office.

She wondered if it was worth it to try and sneak into the conversation between the two women, but she saw the upset look on Leanne's face and she knew it wasn't worth it.

Rox had reluctantly left Angels after that and headed home, stopping to grab a few groceries on her way.

She had texted Ethan and let him know that she was home and that she couldn't wait to see him, but he never answered.

After showering and changing into a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt she shot Ariel a quick text to see what the girl was up to.

She responded almost immediately, telling her that she was actually about to head to the mall and that she'd love some company.

So she had grabbed her purse and waited on the front porch for the girl, smiling when she pulled into the driveway in Leanne's car.

Rox knew that Ethan and Martin were scheming to get the teen a car for her upcoming birthday and it took everything in her not to spill the beans to the girl.

After making sure the front door was locked she joined the girl in the car and they headed toward the mall, the sound of the radio playing in the background as they drove along.

They spent two hours walking around the mall, Ariel grabbing a few last minute items for school and Rox grabbing a few new pairs of pants for work.

Ariel had sent Ethan a text, asking him if he wanted to meet them for dinner, but the man never responded.

So instead they had grabbed Mexican food to go and headed back to her and Ethan's place, turning on a movie and curling up on the couch as soon as they arrived.

The teen had fallen asleep toward the end of the movie and Rox had draped a blanket over her body before turning off the TV and heading upstairs to get ready for bed.

She had just climbed under the covers when she heard the front door open, Ethan's boots thudding on the hardwood as he moved around downstairs.

And then he was making his way up the stairs and she held her breath.

She wanted to know who was searching for him earlier and if they had ever found him.

Letting out a soft sigh she watched as he entered the bedroom and headed straight for the bathroom, the shower turning on a minute later.

She pushed herself out of the bed and made her way toward the small room, turning the knob gently and opening it.

"Ethan…?" She obviously knew it was him, but she didn't know if he would respond.

It wasn't like him to check with her first.

"Hey." He poked his head around the curtain, offering her a soft smile. "I'll be right out."

She nodded her head as she returned the smile.

She wanted to join him but she didn't know if he was open to such an idea.

"Want some company?" She asked quietly, leaning against the door frame as she offered him a sly look.

"I'd love some." He winked at her before disappearing back behind the curtain and she chuckled.

She heard him let out a soft laugh as she stepped out of her sweatpants and underwear, pulling her t-shirt over her head quickly.

And then she was stepping into the shower, the warm water hitting her as Ethan reached and grabbed her waist, tugging her toward him.

"I missed you today." He whispered, his head falling to the crook of her neck as he nibbled at the exposed skin.

"Yeah you were awfully busy." She had known that was bound to happen more often than not.

"Rollie was out." He moved his head to the other side of her neck as his fingers fell to her stomach, running gently over the bare skin there.

"Everything okay?" It wasn't like the older man to not be at work.

"He had a friend in town." He let his fingers dip lower, running through her curls as he leaned up to kiss her lips softly.

"Ah." She let out a breath as he ran a finger along her core, sliding it into her slowly as he deepened the kiss.

"Everything okay with the kid?" She guessed that he wasn't expecting to come home and find the teen asleep on their couch.

"We went shopping." She whispered, her head falling backward some as he added another finger.

"Spending all my hard earned money?" He raised an eyebrow at her as he smiled and she felt something inside her stir.

She knew he was just joking, but there was something about having a man that spoiled her that still seemed so hard to believe.

"She got school clothes." She let out a whimper as he dragged his thumb along her core.

"Wise investment." He dragged his teeth along her pulse point as he picked up his pace. "Nothing too scandalous I hope."

She chuckled at his words.

Ariel was typically pretty conservative when it came to her clothes, especially for school, but every now and then she snuck something into her wardrobe when Ethan wasn't paying attention that drove him wild.

"Everything is 'dad approved'." She had laughed when Ariel had asked her to make sure that nothing she bought would break Ethan's heart.

"Good." He twisted his fingers in just the right way and all of a sudden she was seeing stars, her hands reaching out to grab at him as he pulled her closer with his free hand.

They stayed that way for a few more minutes, her body finally giving in to him and crossing over the edge with a tremble and a moan and then the next thing she knew he was kissing his way down her body.

She knew he ultimately had one destination in mind and she let out a whimper as he backed her up against the wall of the shower.

"Ethan…" She dragged out his name as he lifted a leg upward, his lips dancing softly against the inside of her thigh.

"Yes love?" He didn't break his concentration though and before she knew it he was running his tongue along her folds and that was the end of her ability to concentrate on anything other than the sensations running through her body.

She let out a growl as she leaned back against the wall, her eyes closing as she fisted her fingers around his hair tightly.

Then the next thing she knew he was bringing her over the edge once again, his fingers gently coaxing her back down as he kissed her curls gently.

"Good?" He whispered his question and all she could do was nod her head.

It was beyond good and she couldn't remember the last time she had been so lost in lust.

He stood then, kissing his way up her body as he went.

He stopped at her lips and she couldn't help but smile when he nipped at her softly, urging her to open her eyes up to him.

"Hi." He whispered.

"Hi." She whispered back.

"Love you." He pressed a soft kiss against her cheek as he ran his fingers through her hair and she couldn't help but offer him a giant smile.

"Love you more." She let her hands wander down his bare chest and stomach, stopping them against his erection as she stared back at him.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked with a sigh.

She didn't answer with words, instead she wrapped a hand around him and began moving it slowly.

He let out a whimper as he dropped his head to her shoulder, his left hand tightening it's grip on her waist, his right going to the wall beside her head.

"Okay?" She asked softly, her lips pressing against his ear as she continued her movements.

"More than okay." He whispered, his teeth nipping gently at her collar bone.

She let out a soft chuckle at his words and continued moving her hand up and down, watching as his eyes closed and his breathing quickened.

And then he was tumbling over the edge as well, his body tensing against her as he let out a whimper.

"Damn girl." He mumbled against her skin, his hand relaxing against her waist as he tried to control his breathing.

She smiled as he pulled his head back, lifting his eyes up to meet hers.

"Good?" She echoed his question from earlier and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Yes dear." He let his hand wander downward, grazing over her curls once more as he lined himself up with her.

And then the next thing she knew he was sliding into her slowly, a soft smile on his face as he dropped his forehead to hers.

He found a rhythm pretty quickly and she let her hands settle on his shoulders as he thrust into her quickly.

Before she knew it she was reaching the peak once more and she let out a whimper as he tightened his grip against her waist, his lips pressing against hers roughly as they both tumbled over the edge.

And then he was burying his face in her neck as he withdrew from her slowly, a soft whimper leaving his lips as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I wonder how many babies are conceived in the shower." She whispered into the silence.

"Probably more than people want to admit." He whispered against her shoulder.

"Hopefully it'll happen to us." She let out a soft breath as she watched him pull back, a small frown on his face.

"I take it the test you took came back negative?" There was a sense of annoyance in his voice and she prayed that it wasn't aimed at her.

"It's only been two weeks Ethan." She huffed out. "I figured I'd give it some more time."

He nodded his head as he pulled back from her, a soft sigh leaving his lips.

"Please don't be mad." He turned his back toward her as he grabbed his shampoo.

"I'm not mad." He said.

He was most definitely mad, she could always tell.

"Yes you are." She whispered as she pushed herself up off the wall.

She didn't say anything else and instead she stepped out of the shower and dried off quickly, pulling her underwear and t-shirt back on before exiting the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

She crawled back into bed, her eyes filling with tears as she pulled the covers up over her body.

The bathroom door opened a few minutes later and he stepped out, making his way toward the bed without a sound.

He climbed into bed beside her, his back turning toward her as he laid down, pulling the covers up over his chest.

"Who was that woman at the hospital earlier?" She wasn't going to say anything, but since he was already mad at her she figured it was worth a shot.

"What woman?" He growled out.

"The one who was looking for you." She snapped back.

"Her name's Sarah." He flopped onto his back and let out a sigh as he turned to face her.

"What did Sarah want?" She rolled onto her back as well, her eyes shifting to his as she let out a sigh.

"Why does it concern you?" She rolled her eyes as she raised herself up onto her arm, eyeing him angrily.

"I think I have the right to know why some strange woman is walking around asking about my boyfriend." She huffed out.

"I used to date her sister." He said quietly, his head rolling back onto the pillow, his eyes locking on something on the ceiling. "She's looking for me."

"Her sister?" She didn't understand what was going on.

None of this made any sense.

"Sarah said she's sick, her sister is. Cancer I think. Megan wants to see me." He didn't even bat an eyelash as he spoke and she sighed.

"Let me guess, you're gonna go see her?" She felt a sinking feeling in her gut and it scared her.

She didn't know what she would do if she lost him to this other woman.

"I feel like I have to." He turned to eye her softly, his eyes betraying the stone cold attitude he was trying to have about the whole thing. "I feel like I owe her."

"Why?" She didn't understand what he could possibly owe this woman.

They used to date, and it had to be at least more than 5 years ago because Ethan hadn't been with anyone since Leanne.

"I just do." He growled out. "Just leave it be please."

And then he was rolling onto his side, his back toward her once more, and she let out a sigh as he reached up and turned out the light.

"Fine." She whispered into the darkness.

She wanted to tell him 'goodnight' and that she loved him, just like she did every other night, but she couldn't make herself do it.

Not when he was acting like this.

Not when he was shutting her out for no reason.

A few minutes she heard him snoring softly and she groaned, pushing herself up and out of the bed.

She couldn't sleep next to him right now.

Not after he treated her like she didn't matter to him.

Not after he pushed her so far away.

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