Title: That Night

Author: SneetchesToo

Rating: Mature (mentions of attempted rape)

Pairing: Ethan/Rox

Summary: Everything had been going great, until all of a sudden, it wasn't.

Author's Note: Once again, I clearly fudged the canon timeline, don't shoot me.

—

Ethan had been thrilled when Rox had been able to get time off to come stay with him in London.

And he had been even more thrilled when Leanne had agreed to let Ariel come with her.

They waited until the Saturday after the girl had finished her exams and then they were on a plane and on their way to see him in London.

He had been over the moon getting to spend eleven days with his two favorite girls in such a beautiful city.

After their time was up he had reluctantly put them on a plane and sent them back to LA, promising profusely that he would see them again in just three short days.

And then he had returned to work with a heavy heart.

—

After he returned from London things had been going great.

Ariel had started her summer intensive at UCLA.

Rox was spending more and more time at Angels, working alongside Noa and Mario.

His dad had met a rather lovely lady friend that was coming around more and more.

And he and Leanne had finally started to sort through some of their problems, working to try and save their broken friendship for the sake of their daughter.

Everything had been going great, until Rox's phone had rung in the middle of the night.

She had answered and talked in a hushed and fluttered voice to whoever was on the other end.

And then she had vanished into the night.

He had stayed awake for a while, waiting for her to return, but she never did.

— — — — — — — — —

Rox had had a blast in London with Ethan and Ariel and she had been thrilled to spend the time getting to bond with the girl and her father.

They had taken in the sights and ate entirely too much food.

And when she and the teen had returned to LA their bond had been stronger than ever.

And that was made all the more apparent when she received a phone call from the girl in the middle of the night.

"Hello?" She asked softly as she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and answered it.

"Rox?" The voice on the other end was familiar and she felt her heart start to race when she realized who it belonged to.

"Ariel?" She whispered the girl's name as she pushed herself from the bed and headed into the hallway. "Is that you?"

"I... I need your help." The teen was whispering and she sounded scared.

Rox immediately felt a sense of panic take over her.

"What's wrong honey?" She knew something had to have happened. The girl wouldn't be calling her at a little after midnight for any other reason. "Where are you?"

"I'm... I..." She was stuttering and Rox let out a gentle sigh.

"Ariel, where are you?" She asked again, her eyes scanning the hallway for any signs of Ethan.

"My room." She whispered.

"Are you at home?" She knew that the girl still had a week left at UCLA before her summer session was over.

"No. On campus." The teen sounded terrified and all Rox could do was pray that she was safe until she could get to her.

"What's wrong sweetie?" But she needed to know what she was getting into. "Talk to me."

"Can you come get me? Please?" The girl was begging and that was all she needed to hear.

She knew then that she needed her and that was all that was important right now.

"Of course. Let me get your dad..." She started toward the bedroom when Ariel cut her off.

"No! No please don't get him, or mom." She was practically yelling at her now and she felt her heart start to race. "Just... just you. Please."

"Ariel..." She didn't know if she should go to her alone.

She didn't want to upset Ethan, or worse, Leanne.

"Please Rox! Please!" She could practically hear the tears in the girl's voice and it broke her heart.

"Okay. Okay sweetie." She was desperate to get to her now. "Stay put. I'll be right there."

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Text me your address." She said softly.

"Done." And then the line went dead.

Rox let out a sigh and quickly made her way downstairs, pulling a hoodie over her head and sliding her feet into her flip flops.

And then she was out the door and in her car before she could think twice.

—

When she arrived at the address that Ariel had texted her she pulled the car into a space and shut off the engine.

Sliding her phone open, she quickly pressed redial on the teen's number and waited for her to answer.

"Hello?" Her voice still sounded scared and it was hushed, almost like she was hiding from someone.

"I'm here honey." She said softly, her eyes scanning the area around her.

"Okay." And then the line went dead and there was nothing but silence.

Rox kept her eyes to her right, eyeing the entrance to the dorms as she waited for the teen to appear.

A few minutes later, she saw the girl emerge from the shadows, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she walked slowly.

She could tell that something was wrong so she quickly exited the vehicle and headed toward the girl.

"Ariel, honey what happened?" She stopped just in front of the girl and reached out for her.

"I…" She was crying and it broke Rox's heart in two. "I was attacked."

Her whispered voice did Rox in and she quickly wrapped the girl up in her arms.

"It's okay sweetie." She whispered, her lips pressing softly against the girl's head as she held her close. "It's okay."

"I…" Ariel clung to her tightly, her body shaking in Rox's arms as she sobbed against her shoulder.

"Let's get you to Angels." She said softly.

The girl got ready to protest when she let out a whimper.

"Noa will take good care of you honey." And then she was escorting her to the car and opening the door for her.

"You didn't tell dad did you?" She asked after Rox had gotten back in the vehicle, starting the engine with a soft sigh.

"No." She had wanted to tell Ethan, because she didn't know that it was her place to be there for the teen like this. But Ariel had asked her to come alone, so she had. "He was still upstairs when I left."

"Thank you." The teen whispered, her head falling against the glass softly.

"You're welcome." She reached over and squeezed her hand before pulling the car out of it's space and heading toward the hospital.

— — — — — — — —

Ethan had finally dozed back off after Rox left, but he hadn't slept very well.

He knew something was up, he just didn't know what.

But about two hours after he had heard the front door shut his phone rang, jolting him from his slumber.

"Hello?" He asked quietly.

"Ethan, it's Rox." He blinked his eyes a few times before pushing himself up and into a sitting position.

"What's wrong?" He looked down and noticed that she was calling from Angels.

His heart started racing in his chest.

Something bad had happened and that feeling in the pit of his stomach hadn't been wrong.

"It's Ariel." She whispered.

He felt the wind leave him.

Something had happened to his baby.

She was hurt and he wasn't there for her and it killed him.

"I'm on my way." And then he was pushing himself out of the bed and grabbing the closest shirt he could find.

He had barely made it down the stairs before he was sliding flip flops on and grabbing his keys, running toward the Jeep as fast as he could.

—

When he arrived at the hospital he didn't even park the car properly.

Instead he flew it into a staff parking space and practically ran inside.

Jesse greeted him at the door and escorted him quietly to a room on the second floor.

"We wanted her to have some privacy." He said softly.

"Thank you." And then he was pushing past the head nurse and barreling through the open door.

When he got into the room his eyes immediately went to the bed in the middle of the room.

Ariel was laying on her side, her eyes closed tightly.

He could make out a cast on her left arm, and a small laceration on her forehead.

Rox was sitting beside her, the girl's right hand held tightly in hers, her eyes focused on the girl's body intently.

"Rox…" He stepped into the room slowly, his hand trembling as he shut the door behind him.

"She's asleep." She whispered, her eyes never leaving the teen's body.

"What happened?" He didn't know if he really wanted to know the answer to that.

All he wanted was to know if she was okay.

"I think she should be the one to tell you that." Her voice was shaky and he could see the hesitation in her eyes as she turned toward him. "It's not my place."

"Why did she call you?" He wasn't angry.

In fact, he was thankful that his daughter trusted his girlfriend enough to call her when she felt like she was in danger.

"She just…" Rox didn't get to finish before Ariel's eyes were opening, her attention immediately going to him as she started to cry.

"Daddy." She pushed herself up in the bed, her arms reaching out for him instantly.

And he didn't miss a beat, stepping up to her side as quickly as he could.

When he pulled her into his arms he could feel her trembling, her tears warm against the material of his t-shirt.

"It's okay baby." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her hair as he ran a hand up and down her back. "I'm here Angel."

"I'm so sorry daddy." She whispered as she clung to him.

He didn't know what had happened, but in that instance he didn't care.

He hated seeing his little girl falling apart like this and he would be damned if he was going to let her think that this was her fault.

"Baby, it's okay." He gently pulled himself back and eyed her through his own set of tears. "What happened?"

"I…" She started to choke up and he felt Rox's hand against his back, pressing in a slightly warning way. "I went to a party…"

He didn't need to hear the rest to know where this was going.

He could see the bruise on her right wrist quite clearly and if he had to hazard a guess there was probably another one just like it on her left.

"I… I had a few drinks." He let out a soft sigh and he heard her let out a sob.

He knew that she knew that she had let him down.

But having a few drinks at a party was no excuse for someone to hurt her.

She started to panic then, her breathing becoming ragged and quick, and he instantly regretted his obvious show of disapproval.

"It's okay sweetie." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, hoping to calm her down so that she would continue. "Take a deep breath."

He waited while she got herself together and he watched as her eyes searched for Rox over his shoulder.

She took ahold the girl's right hand behind his back and he saw her nod her head out of the corner of his eye.

"You need to tell him Ariel." She said softly.

The girl nodded her head before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes briefly.

When she reopened them he could see the fear in them.

"I went to a party with some of the girls on my floor." She took another deep breath and he stepped back a little, giving her some space to get herself together. "I… I had a few drinks. We danced. We were having fun."

"When did the fun stop?" He asked as he searched her face for any kind of clue as to what had happened after that.

"I… I…" She took another shaky breath and Rox squeezed her hand once again. "I met up with a guy that I met in one of my classes. He was nice. We… we danced and talked. We were having a good time. I… I like him. I was just shocked he was talking to me."

Ethan nodded his head slowly.

He really didn't want to think about his little girl being with boys.

Not after what happened with Max.

He certainly wasn't prepared to deal with another heartbreak like that.

"He… he poured me a drink." He let out another sigh and she hiccuped. "But I watched him do it. And he poured himself one too. We both took sips. I thought it was safe."

She started to sob again and he reached for her once more.

But this time she didn't fall into his arms, instead, she pushed him away, her head shaking as she took a few deep breaths.

"We went outside to get some air and the next thing I knew I was waking up…" She closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself and he reached out, brushing her hair behind her ear as he hushed her softly. "He… he was on top of me."

And that was all he needed to hear to know that he was going to be killing the sick son of a bitch that had did this.

Jail time be damned.

This bastard was a dead man.

"Did he…?" He couldn't finish his question.

He couldn't let the words leave his mouth.

This was his baby girl he was talking about.

"I don't know." She shook her head back and forth softly before opening her eyes. "My shirt was off. But my skirt wasn't, neither was my underwear."

"So probably not?" He asked softly, his eyes locking with hers.

"I don't think so." She whispered.

He could see the shame in her eyes, the fear and the embarrassment, and it killed him.

"How did you get away from him?" He needed to know that she put up a fight.

If there was anything that Ariel was, it was a fighter.

"I kneed him in the balls." She said softly. "That's when he broke my wrist. But I just kicked him even harder. He let go and I pushed him off of me. He fell backward and I grabbed my shirt and ran."

He had never been more proud of his daughter than he was in that very moment.

Knowing that she had put up such an incredible fight made his heart swell.

"Good job baby." And then he pulled her into his arms, despite her attempt to protest, and he held her tight.

"I'm sorry dad." She whispered against his shoulder. "I know we had a deal…"

"It's fine." He whispered against her hair.

And it was fine.

She was a teenager.

A smart, funny, beautiful teenager at that.

If she didn't break a few rules he would be concerned.

"Mom's gonna flip out." He could hear the worry in her voice and it broke his heart.

He knew that ultimately Leanne's only concern would be her well-being.

But she would definitely be pissed to hear that she had been drinking.

"You let me handle your mother." He said as he pulled back. "Have you called her yet?"

She shook her head back and forth and he turned to Rox.

"She wanted you." Rox shrugged her shoulders and he let out a sigh.

This wasn't going to go over so well.

He got ready to respond when the door to Ariel's room flew open and Leanne came storming through, Ed Harbert and Jesse hot on her heels.

"What the hell is going on here?" Leanne asked sharply, her eyes scanning the room. "What happened?"

"I'm okay mom." Ariel whispered from beside him and he stepped aside, allowing the girl to see her mother for the first time.

"Like hell you are Ariel!" It was Ed who spoke up this time and Ethan was shocked.

Ever since he and Leanne had started dating, or whatever it was that they were doing, he hadn't been a man of very many words.

"Please leave." The teen whispered. "Please. Everyone just go."

Ethan could see that she was instantly terrified of all the attention and he turned back toward her, his hand going out cup her face.

He could see her starting to panic, her breaths beginning to race as she tried her best not to lose control.

"Tell me what happened Ariel." Leanne stepped forward, appearing to his left, and he let out a sigh.

"Leanne, please…" He shot her a warning look and she scoffed at him.

"Ariel Jane…" Ethan had had enough.

"Everyone out!" He shouted, his back turning to Ariel as he blocked her from view. "Everyone! Now!"

Rox and Jesse ducked out quietly, their eyes showing that they completely understood his desire for some privacy, and some comfort, for his hurting daughter.

"I'm not leaving." Leanne growled at him. "She's my daughter."

"She's our daughter." He snapped back, making sure to drag out the 'our' in his statement.

"I'm not leaving." She crossed her arms over her chest and he sighed, turning his attention to Ed.

"Out!" He pointed a finger toward the door and Ed shot a helpless look in Leanne's direction. "Please…"

Ethan was thankful when the other man simply nodded his head and stepped out, the door shutting softly behind him.

When he turned his attention back toward Leanne she was seething.

And he knew he was in for a lashing of his own.

— — — — — —

Rox had paced the hall outside of Ariel's room for a good thirty minutes before Ethan emerged, his arm wrapped tightly around the girl's shoulder.

She could see the exhaustion in the teen's eyes and her heart ached for the girl.

"She wants to stay with us tonight." He whispered to her, his eyes shifting backward to a crying Leanne.

"Okay." Rox nodded her head as she reached out and brushed back some of Ariel's hair. "I'll meet you guys at home."

Ariel nodded her head before they made their way down the hall and when she turned around she and Leanne were the only ones left.

"She said she feels more comfortable with you two after what happened." She could hear the pain in the other woman's words.

"I'm sorry Leanne." She whispered.

She didn't understand why the girl felt that way.

Surely she didn't know that Rox had been through this before.

She had never given the girl any indication toward it.

"It's fine." She could tell that Leanne most definitely think it was fine. "Just… please take good care of her."

Rox understood her pain.

She loved that girl more than she loved anything in this world.

She was her second chance at motherhood.

Her second chance at love.

And Rox would never do anything to jeopardize that.

"I will." She said softly. "I promise."

Leanne simply nodded her head before turning away from her and heading down the hall, her head hanging low as she wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

Rox felt her heart break in her chest.

Not just for the teen who had just been through the worst experience of her life.

But also for her mother, who had just had to watch her daughter choose her father over her for what was probably not the first time in her life.

—

Rox had made it home in record time and when she entered the house she could hear the upstairs shower running.

She almost started to wonder if it was Ethan showering, but then he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, looking more ragged than she had ever seen.

"I told her she could sleep upstairs tonight." He said softly.

She nodded her head in understanding.

She certainly wouldn't want to sleep downstairs alone after a night like that.

"I'll sleep on the couch." She whispered back.

"No." He shook his head, stepping forward to pull her into his arms. "I will. You two sleep up there."

He pressed a kiss to her head and she let out a soft sigh.

He must have known what was going through her head.

"You're the only one who can help her with this Rox." He said as he pulled back, his forehead falling to rest against hers. "She needs you."

"I… I don't know that I'm the best role model in this instance Ethan." After she had been raped she had fallen off the deep end.

Drinking, drugs, skipping school.

She had used her rape as a way to justify losing herself.

And she had just started to get herself back.

"You've been there." He whispered. "You can offer her the exact words of wisdom that she needs to hear."

She took a deep breath and shook her head back and forth.

"All I can do is advise her on what not to do." She would never let the girl spiral downward like she did. "I… that's all I have for her."

"You can comfort her." He pressed a kiss to her nose as he spoke. "Please Rox…"

She wouldn't tell him 'no', not in a situation like this, but it was still hard to fathom being a pillar of strength and wisdom when it came to a topic like this.

"Okay." She nodded her head just as she heard Ariel's voice call for her from upstairs and she let out a soft sigh as she pulled back.

"Thank you." He kissed her softly before pulling back, gesturing for her to head in the girl's direction.

She took a deep breath before going upstairs, her hand shaking against the railing.

She knew that the teen needed her to be strong.

And dammit if that was what that poor girl needed right now than that was what she was going to give her.

*Don't forget to comment.