No Time to Waste
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
A/N: This chapter will be as much a history lesson as a furthering of the story, as I felt that an explanation of the changes in Ethan during the two-year gap between TLMM and this story was necessary. I'll warn you that it paints him as having been something of a cad. There are two reasons for this: First, because he was acting like a cad! The key word, however, is ACTING. Second, Ethan does not like the way he was then. Since this is told as Ethan's memories of that time, it's going to be slanted be Ethan's self-recrimination.
A/N: It's been suggested that I do an Ethan/Kate spin-off. I don't think I want to try a spin-off of this already sprawling story. If I did, I'd have to choose between Ethan/Kate, Larry/Parker, of Lanny/Melina, all of whom have elements that intrigue me. I think I'll not torment myself with that choice. Besides, I'm already torn with what to do when this story of over. Will it be a next-gen sequel to this story, or my 'Two Thirds' idea? You'll know when I do.
`
Chapter 52
Mommy may I
`
It had taken some effort, but Ethan and Kate were now on the couch of the guest suite's living room, Ethan comforting Kate, who was still upset. As he sat there, he time to think how much things had changed. Not just today, but the last few years.
It began after he'd returned from Rome. His father sat him down one Saturday and explained to him that he was looking to retire in another ten years. He had hoped that by now Ethan would be showing signs that he'd be able to take over the business when that time came. Instead, he said Ethan had proven to be a great disappointment to him.
It is often said that to hear yours parents call you a disappointment can hit harder than a fist. So it was with Ethan. As Ethan reeled from that comment, his father gave what he thought was the carrot in his 'carrot and stick' lector. The elder Craft told his son that he still wanted the company to stay in the family, so if Ethan could get through a good business school with good grades, the company could still be his when the time came.
The elder man may have seen this as a carrot, but Ethan took it as a personal challenge. He knew he'd be playing a lot of catch-up, but was determined to do it. Determined to prove his father wrong about him. Ethan's freshman year was hectic. In addition to his regular school work, he had hours upon hours of private tutoring, and he still tried to maintain his presence in the school social scene. At the end of the year, he was very near both physical and psychological exhaustion, but he'd done most of what he'd wanted. He'd gotten better, if not stellar, grades. He rarely felt lost in a conversation anymore. And, importantly to him, he managed to hide it from his follow students. He couldn't explain why, not even to himself, but he wanted to be seen as the same old stupid Ethan by his classmates.
He even managed to lose his virginity that year, and have a couple more encounters as well. That was another part in Ethan's self-transformation. Kate had coldly dismissed him at the airport upon landing in the states, which stung him more than he'd thought it could. He was still reeling from that when his bachelor uncle, and notorious womanizer, came to visit. The advice he gave Ethan when his father wasn't listening was on two related subjects. The second was the advice about giving pleasure to women, some of which he'd recently passed on to young Matt (chapter 33). The first, however, Ethan would never pass-on. Upon hearing Ethan talk about Kate, his uncle gave Ethan his view of women and how to treat them. With his wounds still fresh, Ethan convinced himself that his uncle's view of women was worth trying. So, deciding that being a nice guy was going to get him nowhere, he decided to stop being a perfect gentleman with the girls, and taste the pleasures he'd turned down before. Of course, old habits die hard, but he eventually succeeded. And with each conquest, it became easier.
That summer, his father had Ethan visit various out-of-state relatives for a 'vacation'. While resenting being sent away like that, Ethan saw this as an opportunity to dedicate himself to his sexual pursuits without his reputation at home being affected, and he threw himself into it with reckless zeal. He used his natural charm and looks, as well as playing at the 'innocent dummy' stereotype he was so well practiced at, on as many girls as would let him. He had surprised himself with his success back then. But now, he didn't look upon this with pride. He now despised the way he treated those girls.
It was upon returning home at the end of that summer that he first met Susan. Mistaking her for just another trophy wife, like Tawny had been, he tried to either chase her away or get lucky by hitting on her. She would have none of it, both rebuffing his advance and refusing to leave his father. His actions proved a double mistake because it put Susan on alert to his games with the girls, and Ethan had to get increasingly inventive to have any success during the first half of his sophomore year.
Looking back at that time now, he wondered, not for the first time, how she had managed not to give up on him. On the contrary, while she was a pain in his pursuits, she was never mean with him. When the crash happened, she reacted as though he were her own child, which made Ethan ashamed of the way he'd treated her before. And during this situation with Kate, she had arisen to the challenge as if she was their personal champion. It was almost as if she knew what happened at first wasn't the real him, but how could she? He decided to drop that line of thought for now, because he was just coming to the part of his life that he most wanted to review.
Kate's return to his life.
She first came on to him during a New Year's party at her house. Ethan was surprised to find that he still stung from the airport incident, and he played to his old type at first. She finally trapped him alone in a room, and decided to come to the point. She'd heard through girl talk about Ethan's change, but she'd also heard whispered claims of how good he was. Long from being a virgin herself, she wanted to find out if it was true.
This quickly turned into the first encounter of their first, strange relationship. They decided to make a show of being a couple, and did in fact enjoy each other physically often, avoiding Susan's watchful eyes by using Kate's often empty house. However, because it was just a physical relationship, they could, and did, enjoy other people, who thought they were getting away with something.
This went on for a long time. As things went along, however, it began to slowly change. Little things at first, but then personal details started to be exchanged. As these exchanges began to grow in depth and importance, Ethan began to feel something he couldn't explain. He shocked himself one day when he turned down the advances of a very pretty senior, and realized that he'd turned down everyone except Kate since spring break three weeks earlier. It was shortly after this realization that the dreams began. It took a week of these for Ethan to allow himself to see what they were telling him. He was falling deeply in love for Kate.
This scared him for many reasons, not least of these being what he'd witnessed of his father's failures in this area. So, without anything resembling an explanation, he dumped Kate. After some thought, he decided that he needed to look like he was still socially active, while he thought about everything. And he needed to think, because even after dumping Kate, the dreams refused to leave.
It didn't take long for him to choose Lizzie. He had deliberately passed her over on his womanizing spree. Despite her well-known crush on him, he was sure she wouldn't have sex with him because of her deeper feelings for Gordo. Then, that would have made her a waste of time to him. But now, that very fact was why he went to her.
It's strange how stupid decisions sometimes become a necessary link in the chain of events that get you where you need to be. Because he knew now that he needed to be with Kate, but he was sure that he wouldn't be if not for that crash. It may have stolen his eyesight, but he 'saw' what mattered now better than he ever had. Just a few short months ago, he knew that if he'd knocked-up any of the stupid girls he'd been screwing, he'd just deny it was his, and not think twice about it. Now, however, the thought that Kate was carrying his child was the greatest joy he'd ever known. Which, he realized, was the third time in about a month she'd done that to him.
The first time was when she took him back after the crash, telling him that she had already known she'd fallen in love with him, and had been working up the courage to tell him when he'd broken up with her. The second, of course, was when she said yes to his proposal. He'd never known it was possible to feel the complete joy he felt upon hearing that one word. But know, even that paled in comparison to what he felt with the knowledge that Kate was now carrying his child.
Even so, he was also concerned. Kate was not taking this well at all. He thought he understood at least parts of it. First, of course, were their ages. Even though Kate had admitted to him that she was a year older than she'd always claimed, they were both still much younger than they'd thought about when they'd discussed having a family. Add to that the fact that she knew about what had happened to Parker's baby, and her being worried was understandable. All that on top of her parents' reaction to the possibility of a baby, which he knew she hadn't gotten over yet, and he understood her distress.
He was sure she was strong enough to overcome all this eventually, but he was worried about what she might do before she overcame it. He'd told her that he'd support whatever decision she made when it came to the baby, and that was the truth. But he decided that he had to make sure she understood what he thought about it before she made her decision.
`
But that could wait until after she calmed.
~~~~~~~~
Melina lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, thinking. Lanny, who was laying next to her, interrupted her thoughts. "I'm not leaving you. I don't care what they say, I'm not letting you face this alone."
"Lanny, it's not like I'm going to a fight. I'm just going to give more blood samples tomorrow so she can see if anything's wrong." She turned to look at him, and saw that he looked hurt. Taking his hand in hers, she said "It's good to hear you say that, but I don't want you getting into more trouble if you don't have to. If the tests show something, we'll talk to them then."
"If they show something, you could be dying."
It was all she could do not to punch him for reminding her of that. "Don't think like that!" She calmed herself, then continued. "You heard her, it's only a remote chance. And nearly everyone who gets the kind she's worried about beat it, and live normal lives."
"Nearly everyone." He put a strange emphasis on the word 'nearly'. "How can you be so calm about this?"
Her face shifted. "Because I'm worrying about something else." She finally answered. "Lanny, I'm not pregnant. Don't you remember what they said they'd do if I wasn't? Separate military schools. I can fight cancer, or whatever else they might find, but . . ." She saw in his face that he knew where she was going, and mercifully left the rest unsaid.
In the time he'd known her, Lanny had learned how to read Melina's body language. It was a natural gift of his to read people. However, becoming her lover had combined with this gift, and opened him to reading even her most subtle shifts. Something in her now signaled a warning to him, and he gently took her in an embrace. At first, she protested, but didn't push me away. Before long, he knew he'd been right. She made no sound, but he felt a wetness on his shoulder. He had begun to feel wetness on his own cheeks, but didn't care to hide it.
`
The door had been left half-open on orders from their parents. Nancy Bianco had been on her way to check on them, and heard all of this. When they went silent, she grew worried, and looked in. When she saw them, Lanny's back was to the door, so she saw her daughter's face. She wanted to go to her, but saw that Lanny was handling it right, and suspected that he wouldn't let go unless Melina wanted him to. She decided they could be left for now, so she quietly made her way back to her living room, where Thomas and Vanessa Onasis were waiting. They spent a half-hour discussing something they had considered since the meeting eleven days ago ended. They had all been impressed with how the kids were dealing with this, and each planning meeting since only served to reinforce that. When the kids were out of earshot, they talked about this option. Now, they agreed that it was the right thing to do. Besides, if the kids proved them wrong, nothing said the parents couldn't go back to the original plan.
~~~~~~~~
"I'm sorry for falling apart like that." Kate finally stopped crying, and was trying to collect herself. "I'm not even sure why it happened. It's not like this was a complete surprise."
"You've been through a lot the last couple of weeks. I'm glad you're letting it out. You can always cry on me, Katie, remember that."
Kate couldn't help but laugh. "You're the only person who calls me that." She felt a slight shift in his body before she saw it in his face. "I like it, from you. But why did you choose that, when nobody else has in years?" She didn't mention that the last person to call her that was her father, years ago. She didn't think he'd like the comparison to a man she knew he despised.
"I don't know. It just seemed to fit."
She had slowly begun to relax, and now she finally noticed Ethan's tension. "Ethan, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, exac . . ."
"I think I know your body well enough to know when you're tense, and you're more tense now than I can ever remember. Now what's wrong?"
"Katie . . . Yes, I've got something on my mind, but it's not because I think something's wrong. What do you want to do about our child?"
She looked up at him, and saw the expectation there. Suddenly, what he'd said when she first told him came to her. "You want to keep it, don't you?"
He took a deep breath, then began. "When I asked you to marry me, I told you that you are my life. And when you first told me you might be pregnant, I told you I'd support you in whatever you decide to do. I meant, I mean, every word. But yes, I want to raise our child."
"Ethan, I WANT that, too. But we're still so young . . ."
He turned to her voice. Even though he couldn't see her, he wanted her to see his face as he spoke. "I know we're still young, but Susan and dad are going to help, let us stay until we're able to be on our own. And I know there are a lot of other things to think about, but . . . when you told me you could be pregnant, my heart leapt into my throat. But not 'cause I was scared. It was the happiest moment of my life. I didn't think it was possible to feel happier than when you said 'yes', but that did it."
"I'm sorry I didn't notice."
"Don't be sorry. You have every right to be worried about this. I'm worried, too. But Katie, I honestly feel like this is meant to be."
"How do you figure that?"
He thought about how to say it, still not having pieced everything together for himself, then asked "Before this, when was the last time you had unprotected sex?"
She had to think about that. "Spring break freshman year. I can't remember any other time."
"Late last summer for me. And only once before, on my first time."
"What does that have to do with . . ."
"So," he interrupted, "two sexually experienced people, who used protection almost every time before, including with each other, suddenly both stop using anything, AND never notice? Maybe it's my fog-for-brains coming back, but I find it tough to believe there wasn't . . ." Here he paused, still not able to find a word to describe it that didn't sound completely absurd to his ears. ". . . something more to it."
"Why do you think it happened, then?"
"I don't know. But I know we both want a large family, and I know we want to make up for our parents' mistakes. I know there are a lot of reasons not to start now. But in my heart, I believe that we can do this, and that we should do this. Please, Katie, let me be this child's dad."
Kate had begun softly crying again. Not because she was upset, but because Ethan had moved her with his words. She honestly had had no idea what she would do. In her heart, she wanted to have the child. But she was afraid, for many reasons. But after hearing Ethan, she knew what she would do. They would face whatever life gave them together.
All three of them.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: What have Lanny and Melina's parents decided? How will Melina's new set of tests turn out? Will Ethan and Kate's decision have an effect on anyone else's choices? Those answers, and more, still to come.
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
A/N: This chapter will be as much a history lesson as a furthering of the story, as I felt that an explanation of the changes in Ethan during the two-year gap between TLMM and this story was necessary. I'll warn you that it paints him as having been something of a cad. There are two reasons for this: First, because he was acting like a cad! The key word, however, is ACTING. Second, Ethan does not like the way he was then. Since this is told as Ethan's memories of that time, it's going to be slanted be Ethan's self-recrimination.
A/N: It's been suggested that I do an Ethan/Kate spin-off. I don't think I want to try a spin-off of this already sprawling story. If I did, I'd have to choose between Ethan/Kate, Larry/Parker, of Lanny/Melina, all of whom have elements that intrigue me. I think I'll not torment myself with that choice. Besides, I'm already torn with what to do when this story of over. Will it be a next-gen sequel to this story, or my 'Two Thirds' idea? You'll know when I do.
`
Chapter 52
Mommy may I
`
It had taken some effort, but Ethan and Kate were now on the couch of the guest suite's living room, Ethan comforting Kate, who was still upset. As he sat there, he time to think how much things had changed. Not just today, but the last few years.
It began after he'd returned from Rome. His father sat him down one Saturday and explained to him that he was looking to retire in another ten years. He had hoped that by now Ethan would be showing signs that he'd be able to take over the business when that time came. Instead, he said Ethan had proven to be a great disappointment to him.
It is often said that to hear yours parents call you a disappointment can hit harder than a fist. So it was with Ethan. As Ethan reeled from that comment, his father gave what he thought was the carrot in his 'carrot and stick' lector. The elder Craft told his son that he still wanted the company to stay in the family, so if Ethan could get through a good business school with good grades, the company could still be his when the time came.
The elder man may have seen this as a carrot, but Ethan took it as a personal challenge. He knew he'd be playing a lot of catch-up, but was determined to do it. Determined to prove his father wrong about him. Ethan's freshman year was hectic. In addition to his regular school work, he had hours upon hours of private tutoring, and he still tried to maintain his presence in the school social scene. At the end of the year, he was very near both physical and psychological exhaustion, but he'd done most of what he'd wanted. He'd gotten better, if not stellar, grades. He rarely felt lost in a conversation anymore. And, importantly to him, he managed to hide it from his follow students. He couldn't explain why, not even to himself, but he wanted to be seen as the same old stupid Ethan by his classmates.
He even managed to lose his virginity that year, and have a couple more encounters as well. That was another part in Ethan's self-transformation. Kate had coldly dismissed him at the airport upon landing in the states, which stung him more than he'd thought it could. He was still reeling from that when his bachelor uncle, and notorious womanizer, came to visit. The advice he gave Ethan when his father wasn't listening was on two related subjects. The second was the advice about giving pleasure to women, some of which he'd recently passed on to young Matt (chapter 33). The first, however, Ethan would never pass-on. Upon hearing Ethan talk about Kate, his uncle gave Ethan his view of women and how to treat them. With his wounds still fresh, Ethan convinced himself that his uncle's view of women was worth trying. So, deciding that being a nice guy was going to get him nowhere, he decided to stop being a perfect gentleman with the girls, and taste the pleasures he'd turned down before. Of course, old habits die hard, but he eventually succeeded. And with each conquest, it became easier.
That summer, his father had Ethan visit various out-of-state relatives for a 'vacation'. While resenting being sent away like that, Ethan saw this as an opportunity to dedicate himself to his sexual pursuits without his reputation at home being affected, and he threw himself into it with reckless zeal. He used his natural charm and looks, as well as playing at the 'innocent dummy' stereotype he was so well practiced at, on as many girls as would let him. He had surprised himself with his success back then. But now, he didn't look upon this with pride. He now despised the way he treated those girls.
It was upon returning home at the end of that summer that he first met Susan. Mistaking her for just another trophy wife, like Tawny had been, he tried to either chase her away or get lucky by hitting on her. She would have none of it, both rebuffing his advance and refusing to leave his father. His actions proved a double mistake because it put Susan on alert to his games with the girls, and Ethan had to get increasingly inventive to have any success during the first half of his sophomore year.
Looking back at that time now, he wondered, not for the first time, how she had managed not to give up on him. On the contrary, while she was a pain in his pursuits, she was never mean with him. When the crash happened, she reacted as though he were her own child, which made Ethan ashamed of the way he'd treated her before. And during this situation with Kate, she had arisen to the challenge as if she was their personal champion. It was almost as if she knew what happened at first wasn't the real him, but how could she? He decided to drop that line of thought for now, because he was just coming to the part of his life that he most wanted to review.
Kate's return to his life.
She first came on to him during a New Year's party at her house. Ethan was surprised to find that he still stung from the airport incident, and he played to his old type at first. She finally trapped him alone in a room, and decided to come to the point. She'd heard through girl talk about Ethan's change, but she'd also heard whispered claims of how good he was. Long from being a virgin herself, she wanted to find out if it was true.
This quickly turned into the first encounter of their first, strange relationship. They decided to make a show of being a couple, and did in fact enjoy each other physically often, avoiding Susan's watchful eyes by using Kate's often empty house. However, because it was just a physical relationship, they could, and did, enjoy other people, who thought they were getting away with something.
This went on for a long time. As things went along, however, it began to slowly change. Little things at first, but then personal details started to be exchanged. As these exchanges began to grow in depth and importance, Ethan began to feel something he couldn't explain. He shocked himself one day when he turned down the advances of a very pretty senior, and realized that he'd turned down everyone except Kate since spring break three weeks earlier. It was shortly after this realization that the dreams began. It took a week of these for Ethan to allow himself to see what they were telling him. He was falling deeply in love for Kate.
This scared him for many reasons, not least of these being what he'd witnessed of his father's failures in this area. So, without anything resembling an explanation, he dumped Kate. After some thought, he decided that he needed to look like he was still socially active, while he thought about everything. And he needed to think, because even after dumping Kate, the dreams refused to leave.
It didn't take long for him to choose Lizzie. He had deliberately passed her over on his womanizing spree. Despite her well-known crush on him, he was sure she wouldn't have sex with him because of her deeper feelings for Gordo. Then, that would have made her a waste of time to him. But now, that very fact was why he went to her.
It's strange how stupid decisions sometimes become a necessary link in the chain of events that get you where you need to be. Because he knew now that he needed to be with Kate, but he was sure that he wouldn't be if not for that crash. It may have stolen his eyesight, but he 'saw' what mattered now better than he ever had. Just a few short months ago, he knew that if he'd knocked-up any of the stupid girls he'd been screwing, he'd just deny it was his, and not think twice about it. Now, however, the thought that Kate was carrying his child was the greatest joy he'd ever known. Which, he realized, was the third time in about a month she'd done that to him.
The first time was when she took him back after the crash, telling him that she had already known she'd fallen in love with him, and had been working up the courage to tell him when he'd broken up with her. The second, of course, was when she said yes to his proposal. He'd never known it was possible to feel the complete joy he felt upon hearing that one word. But know, even that paled in comparison to what he felt with the knowledge that Kate was now carrying his child.
Even so, he was also concerned. Kate was not taking this well at all. He thought he understood at least parts of it. First, of course, were their ages. Even though Kate had admitted to him that she was a year older than she'd always claimed, they were both still much younger than they'd thought about when they'd discussed having a family. Add to that the fact that she knew about what had happened to Parker's baby, and her being worried was understandable. All that on top of her parents' reaction to the possibility of a baby, which he knew she hadn't gotten over yet, and he understood her distress.
He was sure she was strong enough to overcome all this eventually, but he was worried about what she might do before she overcame it. He'd told her that he'd support whatever decision she made when it came to the baby, and that was the truth. But he decided that he had to make sure she understood what he thought about it before she made her decision.
`
But that could wait until after she calmed.
~~~~~~~~
Melina lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, thinking. Lanny, who was laying next to her, interrupted her thoughts. "I'm not leaving you. I don't care what they say, I'm not letting you face this alone."
"Lanny, it's not like I'm going to a fight. I'm just going to give more blood samples tomorrow so she can see if anything's wrong." She turned to look at him, and saw that he looked hurt. Taking his hand in hers, she said "It's good to hear you say that, but I don't want you getting into more trouble if you don't have to. If the tests show something, we'll talk to them then."
"If they show something, you could be dying."
It was all she could do not to punch him for reminding her of that. "Don't think like that!" She calmed herself, then continued. "You heard her, it's only a remote chance. And nearly everyone who gets the kind she's worried about beat it, and live normal lives."
"Nearly everyone." He put a strange emphasis on the word 'nearly'. "How can you be so calm about this?"
Her face shifted. "Because I'm worrying about something else." She finally answered. "Lanny, I'm not pregnant. Don't you remember what they said they'd do if I wasn't? Separate military schools. I can fight cancer, or whatever else they might find, but . . ." She saw in his face that he knew where she was going, and mercifully left the rest unsaid.
In the time he'd known her, Lanny had learned how to read Melina's body language. It was a natural gift of his to read people. However, becoming her lover had combined with this gift, and opened him to reading even her most subtle shifts. Something in her now signaled a warning to him, and he gently took her in an embrace. At first, she protested, but didn't push me away. Before long, he knew he'd been right. She made no sound, but he felt a wetness on his shoulder. He had begun to feel wetness on his own cheeks, but didn't care to hide it.
`
The door had been left half-open on orders from their parents. Nancy Bianco had been on her way to check on them, and heard all of this. When they went silent, she grew worried, and looked in. When she saw them, Lanny's back was to the door, so she saw her daughter's face. She wanted to go to her, but saw that Lanny was handling it right, and suspected that he wouldn't let go unless Melina wanted him to. She decided they could be left for now, so she quietly made her way back to her living room, where Thomas and Vanessa Onasis were waiting. They spent a half-hour discussing something they had considered since the meeting eleven days ago ended. They had all been impressed with how the kids were dealing with this, and each planning meeting since only served to reinforce that. When the kids were out of earshot, they talked about this option. Now, they agreed that it was the right thing to do. Besides, if the kids proved them wrong, nothing said the parents couldn't go back to the original plan.
~~~~~~~~
"I'm sorry for falling apart like that." Kate finally stopped crying, and was trying to collect herself. "I'm not even sure why it happened. It's not like this was a complete surprise."
"You've been through a lot the last couple of weeks. I'm glad you're letting it out. You can always cry on me, Katie, remember that."
Kate couldn't help but laugh. "You're the only person who calls me that." She felt a slight shift in his body before she saw it in his face. "I like it, from you. But why did you choose that, when nobody else has in years?" She didn't mention that the last person to call her that was her father, years ago. She didn't think he'd like the comparison to a man she knew he despised.
"I don't know. It just seemed to fit."
She had slowly begun to relax, and now she finally noticed Ethan's tension. "Ethan, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, exac . . ."
"I think I know your body well enough to know when you're tense, and you're more tense now than I can ever remember. Now what's wrong?"
"Katie . . . Yes, I've got something on my mind, but it's not because I think something's wrong. What do you want to do about our child?"
She looked up at him, and saw the expectation there. Suddenly, what he'd said when she first told him came to her. "You want to keep it, don't you?"
He took a deep breath, then began. "When I asked you to marry me, I told you that you are my life. And when you first told me you might be pregnant, I told you I'd support you in whatever you decide to do. I meant, I mean, every word. But yes, I want to raise our child."
"Ethan, I WANT that, too. But we're still so young . . ."
He turned to her voice. Even though he couldn't see her, he wanted her to see his face as he spoke. "I know we're still young, but Susan and dad are going to help, let us stay until we're able to be on our own. And I know there are a lot of other things to think about, but . . . when you told me you could be pregnant, my heart leapt into my throat. But not 'cause I was scared. It was the happiest moment of my life. I didn't think it was possible to feel happier than when you said 'yes', but that did it."
"I'm sorry I didn't notice."
"Don't be sorry. You have every right to be worried about this. I'm worried, too. But Katie, I honestly feel like this is meant to be."
"How do you figure that?"
He thought about how to say it, still not having pieced everything together for himself, then asked "Before this, when was the last time you had unprotected sex?"
She had to think about that. "Spring break freshman year. I can't remember any other time."
"Late last summer for me. And only once before, on my first time."
"What does that have to do with . . ."
"So," he interrupted, "two sexually experienced people, who used protection almost every time before, including with each other, suddenly both stop using anything, AND never notice? Maybe it's my fog-for-brains coming back, but I find it tough to believe there wasn't . . ." Here he paused, still not able to find a word to describe it that didn't sound completely absurd to his ears. ". . . something more to it."
"Why do you think it happened, then?"
"I don't know. But I know we both want a large family, and I know we want to make up for our parents' mistakes. I know there are a lot of reasons not to start now. But in my heart, I believe that we can do this, and that we should do this. Please, Katie, let me be this child's dad."
Kate had begun softly crying again. Not because she was upset, but because Ethan had moved her with his words. She honestly had had no idea what she would do. In her heart, she wanted to have the child. But she was afraid, for many reasons. But after hearing Ethan, she knew what she would do. They would face whatever life gave them together.
All three of them.
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A/N: What have Lanny and Melina's parents decided? How will Melina's new set of tests turn out? Will Ethan and Kate's decision have an effect on anyone else's choices? Those answers, and more, still to come.