~Erik~

Time passed increasingly slow as Roxanne and Zoey quietly glared at each other. Damien and Erik had managed to get them to stop screaming at each other, but their intense stares were brutal. There was a heavy knock on the door and Damien and Erik both gleamed with excitement. Erik was holding a sleeping Isis who refused to let go of him, so Damien got up and answered the door.

The gang crowded into Erik's studio apartment and they all seemed to notice Roxanne and Zoey's… displeasure with the situation. Stark instinctively went over to Zoey and he was trying to talk to her, but all she did was glare at Roxanne. Stevie Rae was the one to take control of the situation. She was second in command, and Zoey was beyond emotionally unfit to deal with what was going on, so she resumed her duty. "Damien can you clue us in on what happened?"

"I think Erik should do the honor," Damien said turning everyone's attention to him. No one noticed the baby before that was mostly because no one really paid much attention to Erik, over the hate oozing for Zoey and Roxanne.

Erik shifted in his seat to face everyone. "Uh-um. Wow I don't know how to say this," he said turning to Roxanne.

"He knocked her up and they have a baby," Zoey said letting go of some of her pent up aggression and malice.

"No one asked for your help Redbird," Roxanne yelled.

Soon they were yelling back and forth once again. Damien and Erik let out frustrated sighs and Stevie Rae realized why they were there. She turned Aphrodite and she sighed. "Bitch one and Bitch two, the drag queen in the cowboy hat wants you two to shut up," Aphrodite yelled getting Zoey and Roxanne to quiet down and insulting Stevie Rae at the same time.

"Okie dokie now Erik can you explain to us again," Stevie Rae asked.

"Roxanne and I have a daughter," he smiled down at the little girl in his arms, "Her name is Isis."

"She has Nyx's mark," Damien added when Isis started to get fussy. "She was born with it."

"Okay too much just happened," Shaunee said not believing any of it, even though the proof was right in front of her face.

"What's not to get Erik's her baby daddy," Kramisha shrugged.

"Yeah, but how and when?"

"He wasn't a fledgling the first time we had sex, it was the day before he was marked," Roxanne chimed in.

"That doesn't explain her mark, and you know more then you're telling," Zoey added.

"I fail to see where you fit into all of this Zoey! Icy's mark has nothing to do with you!"

"It has everything to do with Nyx"-

"I'm sorry I missed the part where Nyx gave you her power of attorney! You have no right to come into my home and ambush us like this! We were going to tell you guys when we were ready!" Roxanne yelled.

"Oh is that why it took you two years to tell Erik that he had a daughter? You just needed to be ready, all the while he just misses out on every important moment in her life!" Zoey yelled back.

"Listen bitch, you don't know a damn thing about me, or what happened in the past two years of my life, and trust-you are the last person that should be casting stones!" The distress in her voice and the volume worried Isis. Roxanne pulled her away from Erik and took her to their bedroom. Zoey followed Roxanne with her eyes.

Everyone in the room was in silence. It was mostly because they didn't want to step on another landmine and have the situation explode once more. "Thatanos and Lenobia will be here soon. So whatever you have to say just do it."

"Dude, you have a kid," Stark said unsure if he'd be able to handle that kind of responsibility.

"When did she tell you?" Stevie Rae said giving Stark a look.

"A couple days ago when she went look for her "sister"," Erik said using air quotes.

"So she was going to pretend that your daughter was her sister?" Erin wondered aloud.

"She wanted to tell me in the right way, and things just kept going for bad to royally fucked up," he concluded and everyone seemed to understand, but Zoey.

"You deserved to know before all of this. The second she found out she should have told you," Zoey said looking at Erik.

"Zo, it's not that simple," Erik said trying to speak on Roxanne's behalf because she couldn't.

"STOP! It's okay to be hurt. You don't have to pretend. She lied to you every day you were together. She kept that beautiful little girl from you, every day you were together, and showed not one ounce of remorse for it. You guys are engaged and never once did she try to tell you," Zoey said reminding Erik of the feelings and thoughts he momentarily had forgotten. Everyone could see the effect on his face for a second, before he became actor Erik and hid them.

"She was trying to protect our daughter from harm. She couldn't just show up with Isis. Especially not after what's been going on the last few months. Her first and only priority was protecting Isis, and I will never fault her for doing that."

"Even if it was in a way that intentionally hurt you and kept you in the dark?" Zoey questioned.

"Zoey, it's not your place to think for Erik. He forgives Roxy and we just have to live with his decision." Zoey's eyes found Starks and he could feel her anger through the bond they shared, even though she tried to hide it.

"Fine," Zoey said letting go of the topic.

Soon Thatanos and Lenobia arrived and Roxanne was back. Isis was on her lap getting cooed at by the twins, Kramisha and Damien, while Aphrodite stood next to them and smiled at the little girl. Erik couldn't help but smile too. His girls were so precious and he wouldn't know what to do with himself without them. However, he did still harbored a dormant resentment towards Roxanne for not telling him the truth sooner. He hated the thought of going through life without knowing the truth, but he hadn't. Isis was here, and safe, and he was going to make sure it stayed that way.

Erik told Thatanos and Lenobia about how he found Roxanne in the field with the white bull. Zoey and Stevie Rae had been listening and they didn't like what they heard. "Why didn't you say anything about the white bull before?" Zoey asked.

"I was a little preoccupied with the fact that I'm a teenage father and my whole family more or less knew and never said anything to me," Erik said letting out a frustrated sigh. Zoey placed her hand on his shoulder and Roxanne didn't like it. Zoey was acting like she owned Erik, like she had to preapprove every action and emotion for him.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with all of this alone," Zoey said offering him a smile.

'Alone' Erik was anything but alone. Zoey didn't know anything about the situation and Roxanne was growing tired of this charade. "Roxanne may we have a word with you?"

~Roxanne~

I had the misfortune of telling my father that Erik and I were engage and on my dad's birthday nonetheless. I was in the kitchen waiting for Erik and Stark to bring the rest of my cooking ingredients. I had managed to get my father to consent to having a small dinner party, and Lenobia promised to talk with him. I was sure there was nothing anyone could say to make this day any better.

"Hi," Zoey said grabbing a few green-beans and helping me snap them for the casserole. I looked at her not really wanting to talk. "I know you're upset about what I did, but it was for the best."

"Zoey save you poor excuses for someone that gives a damn! You did what was best for you and you don't give a fuck about me or my daughter!" I knew what I was saying hurt Zoey and a part of me was sorry for it, but I couldn't keep this hateful Roxanne from saying what she wanted. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop the urge to make Zoey feel worse than I did.

"I'm sorry you feel like that," she said not seeming to care.

"Like hell you are! The more people that know about Isis the more danger she's in. I'm sure that never occurred to you!" I pointed out to Zoey. She looked a little conflicted, but didn't respond. We stood there snapping the string beans until Erik and Stark came in through the kitchen door.

"Hey," Erik said wrapping his arms around my waist and making me happy. The world was always at peace in his arms, and there was no such thing as pain.

"We finished the decorating," Stevie Rea said as she came back into the kitchen with Lenobia and Aphrodite. Rephaim was in his bird phase for another hour or so, and Darius was teaching. The rest of the gang stayed behind to resume classes, or in Damien's case take care of Erik's classes and things involving the play.

I played with Erik's collar, "Maybe you guys should leave and I'll held things on my own. It would be better if I talked to him with just Lenobia," I said looking up at Erik.

He looked indifferent, but I knew he was pissed. He obviously thought I wanted to back out, which could be farther from the truth. I just really had no idea of how to tell my dad everything that happened, and to do it all at once on his birthday seemed cruel. "You're not backing out are you?"

I shot daggers at him. "Of course not! I'd never do that. I just can't stop thinking about last time," I said looking down.

Erik picked my chin up and looked me meaningfully in the eye. "It will be okay."

"What if it's not?"

"I'll be here," he said before he kissed me. I didn't get a chance to enjoy it because my dad came into the kitchen with his wife, my grandma, and presences.

"Roxy," my dad said unable to say anything else. My tattoos were fully visible and judging by the look on their faces it was a bit of a shock. Danny and Davey ran into the kitchen, probably in a failed last minute attempt to warn me of my father's arrival as they promised. Soon they backed out when no one said a word.

"Lord, Lord, Lord," my grandma said as she clutched her pearl necklace, "Child wat 'ave you done?"

"Daddy I can explain," I said turning away from Erik, who wrapped his arm around my waist. My dad's eyes budged at the sight.

"Darrel," Lucy said putting her hand on my father's shoulder, but he shook her off.

"Take your hands off of my daughter now!" my dad yelled as he slowly approached Erik and I. I quickly moved between them.

"She's old enough to think for herself," Erik said.

"And I thought what happened with you and Roxanne was awkward. They weren't lying about how much her dad hates Erik," Aphrodite said to Zoey.

"Daddy, just let me explain," I started, but my dad's death stare silenced me.

"Why? Did you not learn from the last time? I want him gone!" he yelled at me. I swallowed and turned to Erik.

"Are you serious?" he asked with his eyes wide and seeking. They were looking for something in me I so disparately wanted to give, but couldn't. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Like hell you aren't! She isn't going anywhere with you, and you will never come anywhere near her again!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Damaris, but I'm not a kid and neither is she! I'm not going to leave her-ever!"

"Listen punk," My dad said getting in Erik's face, and all I could do was hold my breath and hope that they wouldn't come to blows. "She is my daughter. I pay her bills, I take care of her, I protect her. And God so help me, for as long as there is breath in my body, I will protect her from you."

"I'm the last thing she needs protection from. It's funny how much you want everyone to believe you care," Erik laughed.

"You really have no idea of what you're talking about," my dad said puffing out his chest.

"Oh I do. I was there when you left. I was the one she cried too. I was the one that made things right. When Roz died I was there doing your job. I could never in a million years fathom leaving Isis the way you left them. All for her," he yelled pointing at Lucy, "and this"-

"You really think you know it all don't you. Well, here's some man-to-man fatherly advice. It takes more than the act of sex, and a few days of playing daddy to make you a father. I was always there for Roxy. I was the one that want to all her doctor appointments and dance recitals. I drove her across the country to perform, and I helped her get everything in life she wanted. I have been there for everything-when she wanted me to or not. I wiped away her tears and kissed her boo-boos. I help raise that little girl up stairs and you're never going to go anywhere near her!" my dad was flaming and Erik was bet red.

"You can't keep me away from them!" Erik said with the coldest laugh.

"So you can hurt her all over again. You put your hands on my daughter one too many times. Hell she was carrying your chil"-

"Daddy it wasn"-

"No! Stop making excuses for this boy," my dad said as he pointed right in Erik's face. "If he loved you as much as he claimed, why didn't he call, write, email, IM! Hell, there's a billion ways to interact with a person nowadays and he couldn't us one to find you! You ran off to God knows where because of him, and never once did he call to see if we found you or to know if you came back okay! You could have died and would he have cared?!"

"I love her and nothing could ever"-

"What you say and what you do are two different things. It's been two years, and I know you weren't the one that found her, were you?"

Erik was silent giving my dad all the answer he needed. "Daddy we really need to talk. Lenobia's here to talk to you," I said trying to get him to calm down. "Please do this for me?"

"Get him out of my house!" he yelled so loud it made everyone jump.

I turned to Erik, my eyes pleading with him to go. "Can you and Stark hangout at my place?"

Erik kissed me-and my dad jerked me away by my arm. "The next time your lips touch her I'll kill you Night!"

I swallowed because I knew my dad would at the very least try. "Daddy!" I yelled at him.

"No Roxanne. This isn't a game this is your life, and your daughter's life. Vous avez fait beaucoup de choses, mais je n'ai jamais été déçu en vous…pas jusu' á présent," My dad walked away. I couldn't believe what I just heard. I felt like a disappointment and just horrible for hurting everyone. My heart quickly pounded in my chest. Lucy went after my dad trying to reason with him, but I knew he wouldn't listen. I knew this wasn't going to go well, but never did I imagine this. I felt the hiccups come on before I felt the tears. My heart was broken in a million pieces.

Erik held me close and kissed my hair. "I'll come get you guys, just call me," he said walking out the backdoor with and looking back as Stark passed him. He looked at me and smiled before he left.

~Erik~

"What did he say to make her?" Stark asked as he paced the floor of Roxanne's bedroom. "It sounded bad."

"It was. He said that 'she's done a lot, but he's never been disappointed in her-until now. He's an asshole," Erik said remembering the look on Roxanne's face as the words sunk in. He wished he was with her.

"Why does he think you hit her?" Stark asked. Erik really didn't know how to respond because it was partly true. "Or maybe not." Stark said judging by the look on Erik's face.

"When I got marked I got in a fight with her ex. I pushed her, and she got hurt," Erik said trying not to punch something. Her dad was right. He had never once tried to call Roxanne, and he wasn't the one to find her. Yeah sometimes he'd ask Clara about her.

"That sucks," Stark said genuinely feeling bad for him.

"I suck," Erik murmured.

"I'd never argue with that, but I'm sure he's just over doing it. He seems really possessive of Roxanne."

"She doesn't need him, but in her mind he's all she has." Erik and Stark spent the rest of the night in Roxanne's place watching the game. No matter how hard he tried, Erik couldn't get the image of how hurt Roxanne was out of his mind. He couldn't imagine saying something that hurtful to Isis all over some boy.