Title: Grandsons and Brothers

Author: SneetchesToo

Rating: General

Pairing: Ethan/Rox

Summary: Ethan and Martin have a good old father/son bonding talk about the newest addition to the Willis family.

Author's Note: Angsty arcs are my thing.

Ethan had a hard time processing everything that had been going on.

And he had had an even harder time telling the people in his life about it all.

Thankfully Leanne and Ed had been beyond supportive and were willing to help however they could.

And Rox had been surprisingly supportive of it all as well, for which he was incredibly grateful.

There were only two people left to tell now, his dad, and Ariel, and he wasn't looking forward to talking to either one of them about it all.

His dad wasn't supposed to be home until the weekend but when he showed up at the house that Wednesday morning he figured now was as good a time as any.

"I have a son." He blurted out while the pair worked together on fixing a hole in a tire on the older man's pick-up truck.

"A son huh?" His dad didn't seem shocked by the news and he let out a sigh.

"His name's Levi. He's six." He still couldn't believe that Levi was his.

Except, every time he looked at him it was like looking at his brother all those years ago.

"And which girl is this? His mother?" If the only thing his dad was concerned about was who Levi's mother was he was going to be worried.

"Megan. She was friends with Robbie." Robbie had been the one who had introduced them after all. "Her sister dated him once upon a time."

"Was she the blonde?" Martin asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Megan? Or Sarah?" Neither one of them was blonde so he was confused by his dad's line of questioning.

"One of them is blonde right?" Apparently his father was confused by it too.

"They both have brown hair dad." He said softly, handing the man the next tool he needed.

"Who was the blonde?" Ethan rolled his eyes at the man's line of questioning.

"Who's blonde? My blonde? I never dated a blonde." He hadn't really dated anyone until Megan now that he thought about it.

"Must have been Robbie then." Ethan shrugged his shoulders at the man's words.

"He dated a lot of blondes. So probably." His brother was a ladies man if there ever was one.

They continued to work in silence for a few minutes and Ethan was unsure if he should bring up the subject again or just let it die.

If he wasn't interested in talking about the boy he wasn't going to force him.

"So I have a grandson huh?" His dad asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah." He still couldn't believe that he had a son.

A little boy.

An adorable little boy with brown curls and gray eyes and the softest smile he had ever seen.

"Have you met him?" His dad pushed himself up into a sitting position and eyed him softly as he spoke.

"A few times." He had been glad that Megan was letting him get to know Levi before just moving him out to live with him.

"What's he like?" The other man sounded genuinely interested and Ethan offered him a smile.

"Sweet. He's real quiet. Kind of shy. He likes dinosaurs and anything having to do with the ocean. Pirates, the beach, animals, you name it." Ethan got the feeling that the boy kept to himself too, which was perfectly fine with him to be honest. "He likes to color and read and he gets this look in his eye that reminds me of Robbie when he's really concentrated on something."

"So he looks like your brother?" Martin's words were soft and Ethan nodded his head.

"It's like looking at a ghost. He looks just like Robbie. It's scary." It still weirded him out a little that the boy looked so much like the man. "He has my eyes, but other than that. He's Robbie and mom through and through."

"Does he like you?" He thought that was kind of a strange question to ask, but he guessed that it was important that the boy didn't mind him.

"He seems to. He's been raised by nannies his entire life. His mom's never been around much." Megan never did strike him as the type to have children so he wondered why she even went through with having Levi. "So I think he's still getting used to the idea that he has a parent who is invested in him."

"Are you going to keep him?" He couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head at the man.

"He's not a puppy dad." And of course he was going to keep him though.

"Well... are you?" Martin raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled.

"Yes dad, I am. He needs me. He deserves to be a kid and have a family." He wanted Levi to know what it felt like to go outside and play and be loud and do fun things. He wanted him to know what it was to be loved and snuggled and spoiled. "He's never been neglected in the traditional sense. I mean, he's fed and clothed and has a roof over his head. But he's never had much emotional or mental support. He's only six but he seems so mature."

"He needs some fun in his life." The older man reached out and patted his shoulder softly as he smiled at him. "You're the perfect person to give him that."

"I really do wanna try dad. I really really do." He wanted this more than anything in the world right now.

He needed to give this kid a better life, no matter what it took.

"Than you should son. He needs someone to care for him." And having his dad's blessing now was making things easier and easier to handle. "I think you'd do a fine job."

"Thank you." He whispered, his eyes filling with tears.

He couldn't remember the last time his father had ever said anything so, nice, to him.

"You're welcome. Now, where does Rox stand in all of this?" Ethan let out a sigh as he shrugged his shoulders.

"She's nervous, but, she's supportive." At least, he thought she was supportive.

"Is he gonna move in here with you guys?" That was the question that had been bugging him and Rox. "Or are you gonna move somewhere else?"

"He's gonna move in here for now." He had already started packing up stuff in the office so that he could make it Levi's room for the time being. "We'll have to move eventually, but I don't want to bring too much change into his life."

"Makes sense." Martin nodded his head as he leaned back against the car behind him. "What does Ariel have to say in all this?"

"I haven't told her yet." He whispered.

He felt horrible that he hadn't talked to the girl yet, he certainly wasn't holding off on purpose.

He just didn't know how to approach the situation.

"You haven't?" The older man raised an eyebrow and Ethan shook his head back and forth.

"It was hard enough talking to her about Rox and I having a baby together." He knew that the girl had acted okay with the idea, but he knew it would rock her world regardless. "I can't imagine how this would change her world."

"You and Rox are having a baby?" His dad's question shocked him and then he realized just what he had said.

"No dad." He said softly as he shook his head. "We're trying. Or, well, we were. We're not anymore."

"Why not?" His questions was soft and his eyes were full of a curiosity that made Ethan's heart hurt. "You guys have wanted this for a while now."

"With Levi coming into the picture we didn't think it was a good idea." He whispered.

It had actually been him who had thought it was a bad idea, but Rox had ultimately agreed.

"That seems silly." His dad gave him a look that made him realize how stupid what he had just said sounded. "You guys have wanted this for so long."

"Yeah." He knew that while Rox was scared of the idea of having kids, that she wanted it more than anything now that they had gotten to trying.

"You don't really want to wait do you?" His heart started racing at the question.

"No." He shook his head as he whispered out the words. "I want this dad."

His dad shook his head as he reached out and patted his shoulder.

"Don't let having Levi come into your life change things like that." His voice was soft as he gave him a gentle look. "Sure things are gonna be different, but they don't have to be over."

"That's what I told Rox." He whispered. "She's scared that everything's gonna change and that we're gonna be a completely different couple when this is all said and done."

"But you don't have to be son." He knew his dad was right, that they would still be the same couple they had always been, that this didn't have to change them at all.

"How do I make her see that?" He asked softly.

"You just, do." He let out a sigh at his dad's explanation.

It made no sense what he was telling him to do.

"Thanks dad." He growled out, shaking his head as he pushed himself into a standing position. "I'm gonna go shower."

And with that he walked away from the older man, slamming the front door shut behind him as he went.

Three hours later Ethan had been laying on the bed upstairs, staring at the ceiling and trying to rack his brain for a solution to his current problem, when he heard the front door open downstairs.

He figured it must have been Rox so he waited to hear footsteps on the stairs.

But instead, he heard two sets of footsteps padding around downstairs and he let out a sigh before pushing himself out of the bed.

He hoped that Rox hadn't brought someone from the hospital over, because he really couldn't stand any company right now.

But when he got to the top of the stairs he was shocked to hear Ariel's voice in the kitchen, he wasn't supposed to get her until tomorrow night after tryouts.

And then he was supposed to leave Saturday afternoon to go back to San Diego for a week.

He knew that it would be tough on the girl having him gone like that, but he had last minute papers to sign and court dates to sort out before bringing Levi home in two weeks.

But he tried not to think about those stressful things and instead he felt a smile come over his face as he made his way downstairs, the thought of getting to spend the night with his two favorite girls making his heart feel full for the first time in days.

When he made it into the kitchen though he felt everything change, Ariel's eyes darkening as she caught sight of him, Rox freezing in place as she let her eyes dart between the two.

"Hey Angel." He said softly, offering her a smile as he stepped toward her.

"Dad." She growled out, her hands going to her hips as she glared at him.

"Everything okay baby?" He didn't understand what was wrong with her, she was normally so excited to see him.

"No." She snapped back. "We need to talk."

"Ooookay…" He turned his attention toward Rox but she just sighed before retreating into the living room as he turned his head back toward the teen. "What's up?"

"Were you going to tell me?" She shouted her question as her face turned red.

"Tell you what?" He didn't know what was making her so angry but he wanted to find out soon so that he could fix it.

"That you have a son!" She yelled louder than he had ever heard and it made his ears hurt.

"How did you…" He couldn't believe that Leanne had told her, he thought they had a deal. "Did your mother tell you that?"

"No!" She moved her arms to cross them over her chest. "Someone sent a letter to mom asking for a character reference. I found it and mom was gracious enough to explain."

"So… wait?" He was so confused. "I'm confused."

"I know about your son!" She was furious, madder than he had ever seen, and he was suddenly very afraid of her. "Were you ever going to tell me?!"

"Yes honey, I was." He said softly, hoping that he could calm her down with gentle words and a soft tone. "I was gonna tell you tomorrow night, after tryouts."

"Why did you wait?!" She was crying now, tears forming in her eyes as her shoulders slumped forward. "Why does everyone know but me?!"

"I wasn't doing it on purpose Angel." He hadn't meant to hurt her, he just wanted to save her from having to stress about it while she was busy with tryouts and school just starting. "Please Ariel, I never meant to upset you. I was gonna tell you."

"I can't believe you would do this to me!" She shouted, her arms falling her sides as she started shaking. "I hate you!"

She got ready to walk past him but he reached out and caught her arm in his hand, tugging her to stop next to him as he took a deep breath.

"Please talk to me about this Ariel." He whispered. "Please don't walk away from me."

They had never had a significant fight, not like this, not to the point where she wouldn't even look at him.

She let out a sigh as she pulled her arm from his grasp and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I wanna be alone right now." She whispered, her tear filled eyes shifting up to lock with his.

"Will you talk to me about it later?" He prayed that she didn't shut him out, not about this, not about something that was so important.

"Maybe." Her voice was so soft that he barely heard it but he nodded his head in understanding anyway.

"Why don't you go lay down sweetie?" He heard Rox's voice before he saw her and when he turned toward the sound of her voice he saw her standing in the doorway, a soft smile on her face as she eyed the girl. "We'll wake you for dinner."

Ariel didn't reply with words and instead she nodded her head with a sniffle, her legs carrying her toward her room down the hall.

He heard the door to her room shut behind her quietly and he sighed, his head falling forward as he heard Rox move toward him.

"She really does hate me doesn't she?" He whispered his question just as Rox's hand landed on his chest and he couldn't help but lift his head to look into her eyes.

"No Ethan." She whispered, her hands moving to his cheeks as she offered him a smile. "She doesn't hate you."

"She sure is acting like it." He didn't understand why this was so hard for the girl.

Sure, he should've been the one to tell her, but things had been so crazy and he just hadn't had the time.

"She's hurt." Rox's voice was so calming and he was instantly incredibly thankful that she was there to help him through this. "She doesn't understand."

"I didn't mean to hurt her." He said softly, tears rolling down his cheeks as he took a deep breath. "I thought I was protecting her."

"She's almost eighteen Ethan," As if he could forget that his little girl was almost an adult, "she doesn't want you protecting her. She wants you to be honest with her."

"She tell you that?" He didn't doubt it for a second, the pair had become awfully close the last few months after all.

"Actually, she did." He knew that Ariel would be honest with Rox, and that, in turn, Rox would be honest with him. "She's afraid of losing you when she needs you most."

"Why would she lose me?" He was confused.

He wasn't going anywhere and nothing was going to change that much.

"Because you're about to be entirely consumed by a six year old boy Ethan." She whispered, her eyes darkening slightly as she spoke.

He wondered if she felt the same way as the teen, if she was just as worried about losing him as the girl was.

"But I won't forget about her." He whispered back. "She's my baby girl."

He didn't care if he wasn't involved in her creation.

He didn't care if he didn't know her until she was thirteen years old.

He didn't care if she wasn't technically his.

She was more his daughter than she was anyone else's, save for Leanne's, and that was never going to change.

He loved her more than anything in this world and she was the single most important thing in his life.

He didn't care if she was eight or eighteen, she was his little girl and that's how it was going to stay.

"She doesn't know that like you do Ethan." Rox's words made his heart hurt.

He never wanted Ariel to feel like he didn't love her.

"I need to talk to her." He turned toward the hallway and tried to walk away but Rox stopped him with a gentle sigh.

"Wait Ethan." She whispered. "Let her rest her eyes and think and decompress."

"But…" He just wanted to make things right.

"No buts." She shook her head at him as she reached down and squeezed his hands. "When dinner is ready at seven, like it always is, I will wake her up. We will eat and she will help with the dishes just like she knows she should. And then, when I retreat upstairs to take my much deserved hot bath, you two will talk."

He couldn't help but smile at her words, his heart thundering in his chest at how domestic it all sounded.

"Okay." He let out a breath before continuing. "Thank you Rox."

"Anything for you two." She said with a smile.

"You know I love you right?" He asked softly as he reached out and pulled her to him.

"Yeeeaaah." She rolled her eyes and tilted her head at him, but he could see the smile on her lips nonetheless.

"More today than I did yesterday." He whispered as he dropped his forehead to hers.

"And more tomorrow than you do right now?" She asked softly, her eyes lifting to lock with his as she smiled back at him.

"Absolutely." He leaned down then, pressing his lips against hers softly.

"You know," She whispered as she pulled back, "we have an hour or so to kill?"

He raised an eyebrow at her as he let her words sink in.

But then he was smiling back at her brightly as he leaned in and kissed her fiercely, his right hand moving to fist in her hair as he tugged her as close as possible.

"Upstairs?" He mumbled against her lips.

"Yes, please." She said softly, her eyes falling shut as she tried to catch her breath.

He didn't say anything back and instead he took her hand and turned toward the stairs.

And then they were headed upstairs and into his bedroom, smiles on both of their faces.

And for the first time all day he had felt happy about something.

*Don't forget to comment.