4 days had passed. Danny and Alice were barely talking. Which Daniel was ecstatic about. Lexi was all better now. But acted all mysterious. Lexi was training at the minute. Was at work at 10 tonight. It was 6 o'clock. Alice was sat on the veranda. A car pulled up. That's weird they weren't expecting anyone!

"Hello." Alice said politely. "My name is Alice Trevanion. Are you a guest? Or would you like some directions?"

"Neither." the man said gruffly.

His voice sounded familiar. Like she had heard it before. And his eyes were familiar too except they were flat and lifeless. Where had she seen him before?

"I'm looking for Ethan Bell."

Alice froze and stood up straighter. "Why do you want MY son?" she knew exactly who she was talking to. And he was getting no where near Ethan. She made her intentions clear as she walked towards him. "You won't be seeing MY son so leave!"

"Ethan Bell is not your son!" he replied coldly. He hadn't taken his meds in a week and she was annoying him. His fists twitched.

"I beg to differ." Alice replied coldly. "My husband and I have cared and loved Ethan since he came into our care 10 years ago. He's matured into a fine man. Better than some!" she told him.

Ethan's father took a step towards her and grabbed her by the collar. Raised his clenched fist. Ethan turned the corner. As his father grabbed Alice.

His jaw dropped. "What the hell is he doing here?" he hissed. He then noticed his father was raising his fist. Recognised the enraged look on his face. It was then his father seen him.

"Oh you didn't! you didn't go to hit her!" he bellowed. He face contorted with rage and he sprinted towards them . Ready to pummel his father for raising his hands to Alice.

Alice went towards him . Stopped him halfway.

"Move Alice. Coz I swear I'm gonna kill him! He killed my mum and he went to hit you." he was breathing heavily as he looked down at her.

"No son. Your better than that. You aren't him. Your far better that him. You are your MOTHERS son. Remember her. She protected you so you'd have a life. She wouldn't want you going to jail for him. Would she want that for you?" she lowered her voice. "She died protecting you so you'd do something with your life. Have a family and be a far better man than him. You've already made us and her so proud by how far you've come and what you've accomplished. Don't throw it away for him please son. I won't allow you to wreck your life. I promised her I wouldn't!"

He nodded. Her heartfelt plea penetrating his haze. He exhaled a few breathes. Alice moved.

"So she keeps you under the thumb Ethan?" his dad smirked. "You let woman tell you what to do?"

Ethan jammed tight fights into his pockets. "Say what you gotta say murdering scum." he hissed.

His dad surveyed him. "Last time I saw you, you were a scrawny 12 year old. Not you're a well built man. I'm impressed."

"Is that all coz your wasting my time!" Ethan said coldly.

"You make me proud to be your dad. The way you look anyway."

"I make you proud. YOU? What the hell did you do? I owe everything I do right to my mum, Alice, Danny and most importantly Lexi!"

His dad smiled. "Is Lexi my…"

"Don't dare mention her name. I'm warning you!" his dad quieted. Recognised the almost feral look on his face.

"Ethan son." Alice raised her hand and put it on his arm. "Come on breathe like Danny taught you to."

"Danny by the way is my dad. Who has never felt the need to lay his hands on me. Or his wife, or his other kids, no matter how much I pushed and provoked him and trust me I provoked him. I learned from the best!"

Alice's eyes widened at the dad comment. He squeezed her hand in silent message, he said it to get at his father.

"Ethan I was wrong I…."

"And here comes the excuses. The sob story. I'm outta here!"

He grabbed Alice's hand walked towards the house, escorted Alice in first then closed the door behind her. Jammed a chair under the knob.

"Sorry Alice but he's not getting away with raising his hands to you!" he shouted.

Alice rattled the knob. "No Ethan! Don't!" she yelled.

He turned and walked towards his dad quickly. Alice would be climbing out of a window or come out the back way so he'd have to be quick.

"Now Alice is out of the way let's skip the niceties coz we both know it isn't us." he raised his hands. "Look familiar dad? They should I inherited my big hands from you." his dad was backing off quickly. "Difference is my hands will never harm a hair on Alice's or Lexi's head. Or my kids. I'm gonna show you the last thing my mum seen before she died. See you don't scare me anymore. I have big hands now like you. And I promised mum if you got out I'd kill you!"

His dad swung for him. Ethan's boxing came in handy here and he ducked. His dad was shocked.

"O yeah dad. I box too!" he swung hard and connected with his jaw.

(X)

A mo ped pulled up. Lexi climbed off. Pulled her helmet off.

Saw Ethan punch a man hard. She was shocked. She had never seen him so angry before. His hand was going for another hit. She ran over. "Ethan, Ethan." she pleaded. Grabbed his fist. "Stop!" she tried to drag him away.

"Let me go and leave Lex, I don't want you seeing this!"

"C'mon the big man." his dad said rubbing his jaw.

Lexi glared at his dad who winked at her. "You have a pretty girl. You need to pull her in line. The way she looked at me. I should rip her head off! I know what I'd rather do though!"

That remark angered him more and he tried to launch at him. Lexi barely held him back.

"Look Eth you can't hurt him I'll be forced to help him it's my job! You really don't want me to touch him!"

"You can touch me at any time sweetheart." his father said to her. Lexi felt bile rise. Ethan pulled away and hit his father again. "Don't you say one more word about her!" he yelled.

His father went sprawling in the mud.

"You won't have to touch him he'll be past help!" he said and she put herself in front of him again. Put all her body weight against him pushing him back.

"You can't kill him. Look at me you can't!" she looked him in the eyes. Pulled his head close to her mouth. "Your gonna be a father I'm pregnant." she whispered.

He stopped pushing. Froze in shock.

"You calm?" she asked smiling into his eyes.

"You tell me this now?" he choked. His eyes went to her stomach.

"Well I did plan later but I sorta figured now coz I really didn't want you going to jail!" she said seriously.

He forgot his father was here. And laid his hand on her stomach. "Really?" he whispered.

His father was getting up and saw his son with his hand over her stomach.

"What your gonna be a dad? I'm gonna be…."

Ethan moved lightning fast in front of Lexi. "No your not. Not ever!" he spat.

Alice came running along with Danny. She was out of breath.

"Dad deal with him please." Lexi said.

Danny nodded stiffly. Looked at the man menacingly.

(X)

She held Ethan's hand tightly and they walked away. Sat beside the storage huts on a tree stump. He sat behind her. His hands around her waist and splayed over her flat stomach. "How we've been careful." he murmured.

"Obviously not as careful as we should have been!"

"Do you know how long?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I took the test this morning. I thought I was late coz I was ill. Bob came and collected me for training."

Ethan noticed Lexi was being sort of quiet.

"Aren't you excited Lex? I mean a baby. Our baby!" he said smiling. Rubbed her stomach.

"I am. But….I have reasons…" she exhaled.

"What?" he asked softly.

She removed his hands and stood up. "Why don't you leave and get it over with?"

"You think I'm gonna leave coz your pregnant?"

"No I think your gonna leave coz your father is back and driving you mental. You left last time. History is repeating itself!"

"That's not fair I didn't know you were pregnant then!"

"I would have stayed. You know that!"

"Do I? I thought you'd never leave me under no circumstances. Now your dads back. And for all I know you'll leave again."

"O my god you really think so little of me?" he asked.

"No Ethan I don't I love you. You and our child."

He shook his head, "You don't love me. You mess me around. I fall for it every time. How can you even suggest I'd leave our child!"

"See that's it Ethan. It wasn't leave you both it was just the baby. Did you use me? Get me pregnant as penance or something? Second chance to make everything better sort of thing? Leave me alone Ethan I know how you feel now. I told you how I felt and you….." her eyes filled and she jogged away so he didn't see her tears fall.

Ethan sat there. Feeling so happy at the prospect of being a father but at the same time so angry at the things she said to him. She still didn't trust him enough to believe he wouldn't leave at the first sign of stress. He loved her. Her and their baby.

She doesn't know that a voice told him.

Yes she does I told her. Ethan though in reply. Then realised that he actually hadn't told her he loved her. How important she was to him. He had to tell her now!

(X)

Lexi stuffed her work clothes in a bag and climbed on her mo ped. Started it and pulled her helmet on. Sped off towards Jo'burg general. The bush whizzed passed her. She had paperwork to complete there. Then her shift would start. She knew Ethan well enough he'd try to back track now. And she didn't feel strong enough to resist him. She'd took the plunge told him she loved him. She'd expected to feel warmth like when she told him before. O no all she felt was the icy sting of rejection. Ethan doubted her love now all she wanted was to be left alone. He didn't want her love then so be it. She had her baby. The best thing to come from daddy! She told it quietly. Her focus was off the road for a moment and a car appeared she pulled to the side just before it hit her. She struggled to keep her bike straight managed it. Idiot Lex. You need to focus! You could get yourself killed! There's more than you to think about remember that! She kept her focus 100 percent on the road. And chained her bike up at the hospital. Rubbed her stomach absently. "Daddies' not usually so stupid." she told it quietly.

She walked into the hospital and smiled at familiar faces as she passed. Winked at Tobias the hunky male nurse who kept asking for her number. She had expected the antiseptic smell to make her nauseous but she didn't. No morning sickness at all. So far. Felt full of energy and happy. Well until he put her on a downer! She walked into the paramedics office and grabbed a file with her name on it.

A/N lex and Eth seem to continously have problems. i dnt know y i jst cnt c them happy 4 sum reason :( god news tho. i have finished writin this story woop woop and my next story is well under way :D u lucky people lol only jokin x