Everyone was sat in Lexi's room. One person was absent. Lexi was out of bed. She sat often and still needed a lot of sleep but she was healthier then she'd been in a while. In what felt like forever. She was fussing over Daniel everyone around her was talking they also had a little spread on. Juice sandwiches. She'd been told as soon as the house was sanitised then she could go home. She could hardly wait. She asked if she could go home to help clean which had her family laughing. Problem was she lived on a dusty game reserve! And that had to be cleaned from top to bottom. Sorta like finding a needle in a haystack don't you think?

"Hey Dee Jay, 5 weeks and big sis finally gets to play with you!"

His blue eyes were riveted following her everywhere. Intent on her. She played spider tickle. Then peek a boo. Spider tickle was where spiders walked up his legs to tickle his stomach. He just lay there. Then a smile split his features.

Danny and Alice gasped.

"That's his first smile! You made him smile!" Alice exclaimed at Lexi.

"Really?" Lexi asked. "Wow you always told me I was a clown!"

There was a soft knock.

"Come in!" Lexi called out.

The door opened and Lexi stood there. She busied herself with Daniel.

"Ethan you made it!" Alice said happily.

"Yeah I did." he said to Alice.

He walked over to Lexi. "I'm happy your looking better."

She shrugged not looking at him.

"I didn't know if you could have real flowers yet so I got you this!"

He pulled out a silk red rose. He bent down and kissed her cheek. And put the rose on her table.

"Thank you." she said stiffly. Still playing with Daniel she didn't look at him at all.

Ethan went and sat beside James. It was the seat farthest from everyone. He sat quietly. Not joining the conversations. He spoke when spoken to but didn't volunteer anything.

"You've changed since we last saw you Ethan." Shauna said.

"I do weights now. Lost all the puppy fat. I'm leaner now!" he said.

Lexi surveyed him out of the corner of her eye.

Whoo boy was he! She thought. She nearly passed at when she seen him. The term absence makes the heart grows fonder was completely true. And that kiss on the cheek. She'd been so tempted to turn her head and kiss him. Properly. And everyone was there. That would have been embarrassing.

"Alice mentioned you had a boxing match today. How did you do?" James asked.

"Ok." he said evasively.

"Oh." they thought he had lost. Lexi knew better.

"So you won then?" she asked staring at Daniel.

"Lexi!" Shauna scolded. "It's ok…."

"Yeah I did actually." he said looking at Lexi belligerently. She didn't look up.

"Really wow." Danny said. "Who was your opponent?"

"No one special." Ethan replied.

"That means he was big!" Lexi told them.

Ethan shrugged. "A little.

Alice paled. "How big?"

"A little bigger than me."

"But your over 6 foot." Alice said.

He shrugged again.

He went in his bag and pulled out his lucozade sport and the pictures fell put.

Missy picked them up for him. "Here….HIM?" she squeaked. "You fought him and your still alive?" her mouth was open wide.

Ethan tried to grab the picture. Missy handed it to Alice.

"God Ethan look at him!" Alice gasped. "He's as big as a house and built like a tank. He could have killed you!"

Ethan's face turned thunderous as the picture was passed around. He was breathing heavily out of anger when James got up and walked over to him.

"You're a better man than me!" he said and shook his hand. "I would have ran in the opposite direction. Very quickly."

The picture was handed to Lexi. She declined it. She knew this was making him angry.

Ethan snapped. "O so you don't wanna se it huh? Why don't you start passing these around?"

He pulled them out and slammed them down on the table the top ones were of Ethan, dodging. And hit out stretched hitting him but still in a crouch. He looked amazing. Lexi thought. Focused. Intense. Brilliant.

"This was a bad idea. I'm outta here!"

He walked from the room and was soon heading for the exit.

Everyone stared after him. He was angry about everything.

"I'll go get him. He'll cool off soon enough." Danny said.

Alice nodded.

Danny followed him. He caught him outside.

"You ok son?"

Ethan spun and the contents of his bag fell out.

"Dammit!" he said angrily. Crouched and jerked his stuff in his bag. "And I'm not your son Daniel so don't call me that!"

Danny picked up his trophy. "First place."

Ethan snatched it back off him and put it in his bag. "I didn't want anyone to know!" he said.

"Why?"

"I dunno I just didn't!" he evaded.

"Why did you go off in there son?"

"Coz this is about her and suddenly it was turned around and was about me!" he said angrily.

"She didn't mind!"

"Well I did!" he paced.

"What else is bothering you? I know you well enough to know there's something else."

Ethan didn't wanna tell him. He's a boxer now, hid all weaknesses inside. He was tough! "Nothing."

"Ethan." Danny coaxed

Ethan stalked towards the car. "Open it!" he said. He voice held a croaky tone.

He did and Ethan climbed din the back. Hid his face on the back rest. "She didn't even look at me! I couldn't take my eyes off her and she didn't look at me once! Couldn't even look at a picture of me!" he said angrily and punched the passenger seat.

Danny climbed in the front. Didn't look at him as he was clearly upset and he didn't like people to see it.

He made a circle with the steering wheel with his finger.

"She misses you Ethan."

"Why couldn't she look at me then? Like hell does she miss me!"

"Coz that's how she deals with it. You have your boxing. A distraction. When she was ill she had you as her distraction. Suddenly you were gone. So she acts like you never existed as her own coping mechanism. She's cared that if she lets you in. depends on you again. You disappear. She's disappeared you for good for want of a better term."

"Well if that's what she wants I'll leave!" he said stubbornly.

"Ethan that isn't what she wants. She wants you to fight for her!"

"No she doesn't. She doesn't love me!"

Danny was silent. "I know I put a lot of pressure on you two." he said quietly. "I didn't believe you cared as much as you thought you did. I was wrong."

It took a lot for Danny to admit that Ethan knew.

"You were wrong on a lot of things about me!"

"Come back and sit for a while longer Ethan. We're taking Daniel home soon anyway."

Ethan looked dubious.

"C'mon son." he coaxed and then opened the car door. Ethan climbed out too and walked in the hospital by the time they reached her room. His face was calm and neutral. He walked in behind Danny and sat in his chair. Folded his arms showing everyone that further conversation is not welcome. He sat thinking about his boxing and weights. About how much he would bench tomorrow at the gym. After school. Today was Sunday. He hated school he'd much rather be boxing or with Le…no he didn't wanna think about her. His eyes felt heavier and heavier and before he knew it he'd fell asleep.

The room was quiet and empty apart from Danny and Lexi.

Danny nudged Ethan." I'm gonna get a coffee ok." Ethan nodded groggily not fully understanding what he was saying as he was half asleep. The family had left him alone with Lexi. Danny walked from the room. He stretched and yawned. God hospital chairs were uncomfortable! He looked at Lexi in profile. She was asleep on her side. Her head pillowed on her hands. She still wore her pick turban although she had a little hair he knew. A little longer than peach fuzz. He drank in her face. She is so beautiful. Her skin although still a little pale had a healthy glow to it and her lips were pick now instead of grey. And her green eyes. He could imagine them. Her green eyes they are… as he was thinking those very eyes opened. She lifted her head and looked around.

"I'm dreaming." she murmured sleepily. "Well as long as I'm dreaming." she sat up too quick and wobbled a little he rushed over.

"I'm fine." she said and pulled him to her for a kiss.

Her lips were soft and pliant under his, still in shock for a second he froze. Then put his right hand to her cheek and kissed her back. Her arms snaked around his neck. Her heart monitor beeped faster. They pulled away at the same time.

"First time that has happened in my dream!" she went bright red lay back and pulled the blanket over her head.

"Lexi." Ethan said.

"Go away!" she said muffled.

He stood up to leave then remembered Danny's words. She wants you to fight for her!

He sat back down.

"You still here?" she asked.

"Yep."

"Ethan leave me please. I've embarrassed myself enough!"

"Lex, look at me!"

"NO!" she told him.

"Lex." he drew out the single syllable.

She peeked out so her eyes were uncovered.

He smiled. "I love you!"

She hid her face again,

"Lexi."

"Go away Ethan." her voice wobbled.

"I miss you." he said softly. "I missed you more than I thought it was possible to miss one person."

She pulled the blanket from her face. Her cheeks wet. "You made no move to see me. Talk to me. No messages. I was cut off from you! We broke up. But you left me!" her eyes glistened.

"Lex you broke my heart. You broke up with me remember!"

"So in return you broke mine? I didn't expect you just to give up. I thought he'll apologise. Everything will be better in a week and we'll make up. Same as always!"

"I didn't break your heart intentionally. I tried to stay away but I can't. I love you too much. Miss you too much. I've been a wreck. Going crazy! I want to be with you again. Have a relationship again." he grabbed her hand. I know there's stuff to work through but we can try right?"

"I want to." she said softly. "But I'm worried."

"I'll talk to your dad." he said. "Try and make him understand how I feel. All I know is that you are too important to get away. We could have something special. I love you, you know!"

She nodded. He pulled her close for a chaste kiss and a hug.

"I've missed you so much Ethan." she said against his chest.

He kissed the top of her head. "Me too Lex. Me too!"

(X)

Danny returned to the room and saw Ethan and le holding hands and chatting animatedly. His first impulse was to run in there and rip their hands apart. He ignored it and knocked on the door. Walked into the room expecting them to drop their hands covertly. He was shocked to see that they stay locked together tightly.

"You two ok?" Danny asked.

Ethan and Lexi shared a warm look and smile.

Danny rolled his eyes.

Ethan stood up. Looked at Danny.

"Look this is well old fashioned and cheesy but I wanna know if u can have…. I dunno like permission to date your daughter?" Ethan fidgeted. He felt like a proper fool!

Danny half smiled. Still wasn't gonna make it easy for him though!

"And if I say no." he replied seriously.

Ethan hadn't been expecting that answer. "Um, well I'd have to find a way to convince you."

"How would you do that?" Danny asked again seriously. Resisted the urge to laugh at his panic stricken face.

Lexi groaned and covered her face.

"Um, tell you that I love her. And respect her. Then I dunno build trust." he said thinking hard. "Look I'm being serious here Danny. I want to do this properly you know. With you behind us. Fair enough I'm not a complexly traditional guy and I know why you disapprove us so I figured the best way to get you ok with us is for me to, I dunno let you know that I know that your watching. I DO love her and won't mess her around or use her."

Danny studied his face intensely. See if he cracked or blanched under the scrutiny. Ethan looked at him unflinchingly.

"Ok." Danny said coolly. "We'll take this one day at a time!" he walked over and went to shake his hand. Bent forward. "But you know what will happen if you hurt her." he murmured for Ethan's ears only.

Then he smiled at his daughter. Patted her feet. "What do you say about that Lex?"

She groaned louder, still hiding her face.

A/N ok so i got them bk together. me loves a happy ending lol last chapter next. hmmm i wonder what is happning there! :)