Alice sat in her room feeling sick, her stomach was literally rolling as her mind searched for answers to how this had happened….this couldn't be happening! It all had to be some sort of bad dream! Fear was making her heart pound and she felt herself on the verge of tears. Danny was at college, she had text him to come home right away, she needed him right now….he had no idea his whole life was about to change. She hadn't mentioned to him about being late, she had only done a test to prove to herself that she WASN'T pregnant. She was late because she was stressed out. Her mum had got back in contact wanting to get to know her. She had just started college and it was harder than she expected, she had no one to confide in because her dad was away at the rigs and Danny kept on talking about this girl called Laura….the result from the test had thrown her for six. This couldn't be happening, they had been so careful! She took her pills everyday religiously and he wore condoms….well most of the time he wore condoms but she was on the pill so she didn't think it mattered…..what were they going to do? This wasn't supposed to happen!

She heard the doorbell ringing incessantly and ran downstairs. She pulled the door open to an annoyed looking Danny.

"What is it Alice? I need to get back to college, Laura is covering for me but I need to get back. Its important…." he trailed off when he saw the pure fear in her face. "Alice? What's wrong?"

She took him by the wrist and pulled him inside then walked to the living room. Danny took a seat while she paced back and forth restlessly trying to find the words to tell Danny he was going to be a father. "I don't know what to do." she murmured over and over.

"Alice!" Danny asked with more feeling this time.

Alice looked up at him face pale and eyes wide, "I'm pregnant." she practically whispered, the first time she said it out loud making her legs wobble a little.

Danny's face drained of all colour, he looked at her face then her stomach then back at her face, "You're sure?" he croaked, his voice escaping him.

She nodded, "I did a test."

He covered his mouth with his hand a moment, "But how? We were careful…."

The pure disbelief in his tone and expression made Alice begin to feel defensive…. "I know…."

"What are we going to do?" he whispered hand still covering his mouth.

She shook her head in unknown,. "I don't know, this wasn't supposed to happen."

Danny ran his hands through his hair feeling sick with fear. He was going to be a dad, his child was growing inside Alice….at that thought he almost bolted, he wasn't ready for this! He was no role model, he had no role model! How could he be a dad when he hadn't finished growing up himself! "Are you keeping it?"

Danny saw Alice's eyes flare and knew he made a big mistake, Alice gave him no time for damage limitation when she began her spiel…

"Are YOU keeping it?" she hissed. "Don't you think you should have a say in that or do you think I'll make the decision for both of us taking it out of your hands. That way when we argue you can blame me for everything like you always do!"

Danny covered his eyes with his hand and shook his head, "Alice, I didn't mean that the way it sounded…"

"What other way was it supposed to sound like? It sounded like you were pinning all the responsibility for this one me! It might have escaped your notice but you are 50% responsible for the position we are in!" her fear making anger burn hotter.

"I can't talk to you when you're like this…" he muttered under his breath.

"I can hear you!" she fumed.

"You're being irrational, just calm down…."

"IRRATIONAL!" she shouted.

Danny decided to try a different tactic, he went to her and rubbed her arms gently. "Calm down it'll be…."

She pulled away from him. "Don't lie to me and say it'll be ok! I'm 16, you're 18 and I'm pregnant!" every time she said that it felt all the more real and the realisation made her want to throw up….

"We can deal with this." he soothed. "Try not to worry."

"How can I not? There is so much I have to do, to think about…." she trailed off frowning.

"I know we do…" he agreed. "it'll be better to do that when we're calmer and the shock has worn off. We can't make any rash decisions…"

Alice hadn't listened to him, she was too lost in her own fears, "I don't know what to do!" she moaned. "I'm so scared, I don't know how to be a mum! I'm only a kid myself!"

"We'll sort this!" he repeated.

Alice looked up at him scowling, "What is all this we? I'M the one who's pregnant, I'M the statistic, I'M the teenage mum!"

"STOP right there!" he snapped. "That's my baby too, like you said before you didn't make it by yourself!"

Alice might have believed him had he not talked non stop about Laura in his class at college for the last month, "Danny don't pretend like you are gonna be here for me with this! I know teenage boys! You say this now but what about in a years time when we have no money and the baby won't stop crying? I'm sure Laura will be there to listen…."

His jaw dropped when he heard the unspoken accusation in her tone, "I can't believe you just said that…" his face contorted with fury. "And Laura has nothing to do with this! She is my friend!"

"C'mon you know it too! If it wasn't Laura you would be leaving me for someone else! The lad walks away, they all do! Its why you asked if I was keeping it wasn't it?"

"I wouldn't walk away actually!" he fumed. "And give me a little time to catch up! I had no idea there was a chance you could be pregnant! You kept that one pretty quiet didn't you?" both of them throwing accusations now. "And now you are saying I would walk away from my baby! We have been together a long time Alice, you should know me better than that by now!" he shook his head in disgust. "You really don't know me at all do you?" and giving her one last disgust filled look he headed for the front door and left.

Alice just watched him go feeling lost and alone. She tried to rally herself, it was better he left now, before she came to rely on him.

Danny went back to his dads home for the first time in months, possibly closer to a year. His mind spinning as he sat in the kitchen, Alice was pregnant, she was gonna have a baby, THEY were gonna have a baby. He was gonna be a father. The sense of responsibility he felt at that moment was staggering! He was going to have to find a proper full time job, they were going to have to get their own place too. That is if she even let him near the child. How could she think he'd walk away? He loved her! And the baby? Well he'd love that too, he'd have to, it was a part of Alice…it was part of him too….oh God! He exhaled and closed his eyes centering himself. What would he do if she did keep him away from the child?

'Would it be better for him if she did' sprang unbidden into his mind. He forced the thought away immediately. NO it wouldn't! It wouldn't be better for him Alice or the baby! Like it or not he made a child with her and for that reason alone he was going to have to step up.

'But she doesn't want you to." a malicious voice in his head told him. "She's gave you you're chance to leave, take it!'

Danny bowed his head and clenched his jaw tightly hating the thoughts he was having and hating even more that they were tempting him far more then he cared to admit….but could he do it? Knowingly walk away and leave her to do it all alone? Could he look at himself in the mirror if he did that? He didn't even have to answer that, he knew he couldn't….and he had to change her mind about him too. Sooner rather than later. The longer an idea was in Alice's head the more it took root and he couldn't afford to let her decide he wasn't allowed to see his child….what to do though?

As he thought an almost obvious answer came to him and his stomach clenched painfully. He looked a the third finger on his left hand. Husband and father? he thought to himself. They had always assumed they'd get married and have kids one day, it was a little earlier than either planned…but this would convince her he'd never walk away! And it wasn't like he didn't love her….marriage though? He was only eighteen!

After pondering it a little while he knew he had no choice, he had to do anything to let Alice know that he was never going to leave her, that he was going to be there for their child.

He walked upstairs to his old room slowly to collect the ring his grandmother had gave him years ago before she passed away. His grandmother had been the one constant in his life, his mother always leaving him at hers while she did God knew what. A few weeks before she died she gave Danny a ring and told him to hide it from his mother and everyone else. This was the engagement ring his grandfather had given her and this was for Danny to give to his wife someday.

He pulled out his wardrobe, lifted it and pulled out a small blue velvet box. He opened it and saw a small diamond cluster ring. It wasn't big and it wasn't fancy but it had been given with love once before and would be given with love again….

The door to his bedroom door opened. His father stood surveying him,

"Thought I heard someone in here…" he said slurred.

"Don't worry, I'm not hanging around." Danny replied and he shut the box pushing it into his pocket.

His dad looked at him, "What's that?"

"Nothing to do with you!" and Danny went to leave.

His dad blocked his path and pushed him back into the room. "Give it to me!"

Danny was surprised by two things, one he found that in the last year he was now taller than his dad and two he was no longer frightened of him either. "Move out of my way!" Danny ordered not even entertaining taking the ring from his pocket.

His dad raised his eyebrows, You think you can talk like that to me?" surprised at Danny's reaction, usually he shrank away and did as he was told. "I'm telling you give me the box."

Danny's eyes were dark, "No."

"You going to make me take it boy?" he hissed.

Danny stared at him, he didn't even blink, he just took another step forward accepting is dads challenge.

His dad began to laugh, "You really think you can take me boy?"

The anger Alice had stroked in him earlier was now roaring, the injustice of having to prove himself to her and the humiliation his dad put him through everyday since he came back to him at 12 was building and it took everything in him to try and walk away from this….with rage on his face he lifted his hand put it to his dads chest and pushed him out of the way and began to leave….

"I guess it's a ring you have, you gonna give it to that little slut of a girlfriend of yours, what you gonna do propose? She still not putting out for you? I knew what I would have done by now! A few well aimed slaps and she'll do whatever you want. Need me to show you how….."

Danny halted at the top of the stairs, his shoulders turned to stone and he felt his fists clench, his breath coming in short sporadic bursts. He had finally hit his limit, he spun and before he could even think about what he was doing he walked into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him…soon followed a chorus of thumps….

Alice stared at Danny open mouthed, "You never told me before what happened when you got the ring from your dads." she whispered.

"We had other things to think about." he told her. "Plus I'm not proud of it."

Alice saw the pain on his face, she knew how he felt about violence of any kind, any time it happened bad things came their way. She had no idea what to say to make him feel better, she didn't want to condone it knowing that would make him feel worse, two wrongs didn't make a right but still…. "It's in the past, you're a different person now, a better person that him." she decided on.

"Still though…."

"No buts or even stills!" she told him gently. "It's understandable after all he put you through! There is no judgement here."

He shot her a small smile, "Thanks."

"No problem, now where were we?" she asked returning to their memories….

Danny had his hands braced against the sink, both of them throbbing from the abuse he'd put them through. His nose was slowly trickling blood but apart from that he was unscathed….his father was another matter. His hands clenched the sink tighter as the memory of his fathers face returned to him…he had hit his dad so much! His lip was spewing blood, as was his nose. Both his eyes were turning various shades and… Danny's head bowed lower as tears filled his eyes and threatened to spill over. What had he done? He was no better than him! What was he doing reacting to words like that? He had promised Alice that no matter what he wouldn't resort to violence…he opened his eyes and even through the tears blurring them he could still see that his knuckles weren't the pinky colour they should be but an angry vibrant red which was rapidly turning purple. He ran some cold water and doused some toiler roll cleaning up the blood from his nose. As he was completing this task his dad limped from the room.

Danny looked at him full of shame.

His father simply walked downstairs still clutching his ribs, Danny couldn't remember if he hit them, for a while both of them had rolled around the floor battling for supremacy so it might have been possible. Just one more thing to add to the reason to feel guilty list.

After he cleaned himself up he walked downstairs to find his dad sat on the sofa with some cans watching an old football match. He slowly walked into the room. Without tearing his eyes from the TV his dad said "Grab yourself a can."

Danny frowned, "What?" his dad never asked him to join him and told him never to touch his drink!

He dad took a long pull from his drink not replying to Dannys yelp.

"How can you…. dad I…" Danny stammered.

His dad looked at him through puffy eyes, "You finally proved you're my son!" he said proudly. "My dad did the same thing to me! Mind you I hit him years before you did me! Its about time son."

Revulsion filled Danny as the implications of his dads words sank in, he had to stop himself from retching…."All those years you were teaching me to be like you?" he asked in disbelief.

His dad crushed a can and belched loudly, "Yeah, what else, now get yourself a can."

Oh my god! He was his fathers son in very sense, it seemed the apple didn't fall far from the tree!

His dad looked at him then and he must have recognised how distressed Danny was by all that transpired, he now realised Danny would never be the son he expected! His expression changed to pure disgust and he sneered, "You know I thought you had changed!" he hissed. "I thought all the times I hit you had done you some good, I was waiting for the time you'd finally grow a spine and hit me back! But I see nothing has changed you were always a weak pathetic kid and now I see you're a weak pathetic man too. I never want to see you again!" and his dad opened another can not even acknowledging he was there.

Danny could barely breath with the revelations he had now learned… his fathers declaration that he wanted nothing more to do with him filled him with relief! Now all he had to do was leave and then he'd never have to remember this happened! He could just pretend that he got the ring and left with nothing in between…yeah, that's how it happened...he practically ran from his dads house vowing never to return.

It was later that night before he managed to make it back to Alice's. He had wanted to ring her as his fists were badly discoloured but she ignored all his calls and tests. He shouldn't have been surprised, he knew as far as she was concerned he had walked out on her when she needed him most leaving her to deal with everything alone. So now he had to do this face to face and was throwing little stones at her window trying to get her attention.

Alice lay on her bed in her room debating on turning her phone off. There was no way she was speaking to Danny after this. As far as she was concerned he could disappear out of her life! She could do this without him! Her dad would be around to help if she needed a male role model. If he wanted to walk off and leave her then….she heard a tapping on her bedroom window and turned her stereo on to block it out. Danny was throwing stones trying to get her to talk to him but she wasn't going to he had….it stopped and Alice thought he given up when her phone buzzed alerting her to a message. She opened it and read it quickly,

"You can either talk to me or I have a large rock here which has your windows name on it!"

Her eyes widened and she rapidly replied with, "You wouldn't!"

Danny didn't reply so she ran to her window and opened it. She saw him holding a brick in his hand alongside some ladders.

"Do it and I'll have you arrested!" she warned coldly.

"All I want to do is talk to you about the child. OUR CHILD! It isn't just yours and I won't let you keep it from me, you trying to scare me off won't work! I plan on being there for everything so save yourself the trouble and just talk to me. I'm not going to back off, I have rights whether you like it or not." he sighed softly. "Please Alice, I don't want to have to go to court to see it, I want to be by your side for all of this. It isn't fair, its my baby too."

Alice was quiet a moment, his last words touching a cord deep within her, she folded her arms on the window frame and rested her chin on them, she sighed. "Are you scared Danny?"

"Yeah." he answered simply. "This isn't something we can change if we mess up. There's a little person growing inside you who is depending on us to be adults now." he shook his head. "Anyone not scared is an idiot, regardless of how old they are."

She nodded.

"But I know that if anyone can do this we can." he told her sincerely. "We have got through so much together." nothing as massive as this but he kept that to himself.

Alice felt rather than heard his words and before she knew it she was running from her room down the stairs to him. She unlocked the back door and halted. Without saying a word Danny walked towards her and enfolded her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest and clung to him.

"I promise that I will never leave you." he whispered. "You and the baby are stuck with me." He considered proposing but decided against it knowing a better opportunity would eventually present itself.

As Danny hugged Alice he was already wondering how to make sure to keep his bruise stained hand to himself. He tried to push the thought away, when he was dealing with his pregnant girlfriend and unborn child it made what he did to his dad easier to forget about.

A/N awwww poor danny :( bless him he didn't have it easy did he. This is setting rhe scene, the Danice relationship isn't as stable as you might have hoped!
More than half of this was made up on the spot so apolgies for the lack of editing in some areas. Anyway we haven't quite got to the part on losing their son but you get there next chapter! Honest. Stay tuned!
Sorry for sporadic updates, I've been so busy! Plus in my free time I've been watching Ballykissangel with a very young Stephen Tompkinson in it, bless him he had such a baby face when he was young. The end of S3 is so sad :( Thanks for reading x