22 year old Eliot Spencer was returning home from the service for Christmas. Their house was small and grungy, but that didn't matter. His family had lived there as long as he could remember and to him, regardless of its state, it was home. He walked up to the front door and before he even opened it he could hear the all too familiar sound of the yelling and screaming of his father and brother. He took a moment, and a deep breath, before opening the door.

"I'm home," he said. "Dad," he said to his father and was greeted with the usual grunt.

The pair had used to be quite close. In fact, before his mother had died, they had been a 'picture perfect' family; they had barbecues with neighbours and actually enjoyed the holidays. Now, it was a chore to come home. As a teenager he would work in his father's store, stocking shelves and what not; they would build chairs and furniture together and they could talk about anything, but when his mother had died his father had become reclusive. He had started drinking, alot, and had become angrier than he used to; now he and Eliot could barely hold a two minute conversation before breaking into an argument.

"Hey Eliot," his 21 year old brother said as he reached for what Eliot could only assume was nowhere near his first drink of the night.

"Jonny. How's it been?" He asked cordially.

"Same old, same old." he said with a smirk.

"You gotta job yet?" Jonny rolled his eyes. "How's the wife and kid?"

"Same old, same old," he replied again. His brother had gotten married to his high school sweet heart, Lindsey as soon as they had graduated; it was an impromtu marriage and the pair argued constantly. Eliot gave it another two years before the two were divorced.

"Is Hayley home?" Eliot asked, ignoring his brother's stupidity which, unfortunately he was used to.

"She's in the bathroom, I think. Haven't really seen her in a few days though."

"Is she okay?" he asked, this time directing the question at his father.

"How should I know?" he replied gruffly.

"What? You didn't think to, I dunno, check up on your daughter?" he yelled as he stormed off towards the bathroom. He rapped quietly on the door. "Hayley?" There was no reply. "Hayley?"

"Just a minute," she yelled back and Eliot heard the sound of bathroom cabinets being shut. Finally, she opened the door and stepped out into the hall, locking it quickly behind her. She jumped into his arms. "Hey big brother. I missed you."

"I missed you too Hales," he said as he began to pull out of their hug but she didn't let go; Eliot knew something was wrong. "So what's been happening with you?"

"Oh, you know," she said uncomfortably. "Same old, same old."

"Don't give me that Hayley, I know you better than anyone. What's up?"

"Nothing," she said, and then quickly trying to change the topic pulled Eliot into her room. "Check it out!" she said framing a new acoustic guitar with her hands. For a second, Eliot forgot his concern for his sister, picking it up and began strumming a tune.

"Sounds nice, action's a little off though."

"Yeah, I was hoping you could fix that for me."
"Why didn't you get dad to do it?"

"It's dad Eliot. Why do you think?" She said. Eliot shook his head and began to speak but was interrupted. "Dad!" Hayley yelled, seeing her father walk past in the hall.

"What?" he replied angrily, walking towards the bathroom. Hayley followed him.

"Dad don't go in there!"

"Why?"

"Because my stuff is everywhere," she said clearly attempting to make up some sort of excuse. He continued to open the door. "Dad please!" she yelled again attempting to block his way into the bathroom. Her father lightly pushed her out of the way and shut the door behind him. "Dad!" she yelled again, then backed up to the hallway wall, hands wrapped around herself, worry covering her face. Eliot began to walk towards her.

"What is this?!" their father yell from inside the bathroom. He walked out holding a positive pregnancy test in one hand. "You're pregnant?!" He yelled, throwing the test on the ground furiously, causing Hayley to flinch. He walked forward, towering over Hayley; Eliot was ready to intervene at any moment, knowing it could get ugly.

"Daddy," she pleaded as tears started running down her face.

"This is unacceptable!" he shouted, angrily grabbing her wrist with one hand, aggresively waving his other fist in her face. Eliot moved in to intervene; his father had a mean temper since his wife had died and although Eliot had never known his father to be violent towards them, it didn't mean he wouldn't be now.

"Back off!" he yelled as he pushed his father away from Hayley.

"You are out do you hear me! I will have nothing to do with you and that, that thing! You are not welcome in this house ever!" Spit flew out of his mouth as he raged at the teenager and Eliot had to use all of his strength to protect her. With one final shove, he pushed the man into the wall and released him; enough to finally get him to shut up.

"Hayley go to your room will you?" he said to his sister who nodded. "Is that how you're gonna play this huh? You gonna kick her out? She's your daughter dammit!" Eliot yelled at his father.

"Not any more she ain't!" he yelled, pointing his index finger in Eliot's face. "No daughter of mine would get pregnant at sixteen!"

"So you're gonna turn your back on her?" he yelled back.

"I want her outta my house by morning! And I never want to see her again!" he yelled, this time loud enough so that Hayley would hear him and began to walk off.

"You know what Dad, Ma'd be real proud of you!" Eliot said and his father froze in the doorway, a bottle of Jack and a carton of cigarettes in his hands.

"What'd you say?"

"You don't even realise do you? How much you've changed since she died. Five years! Five years I've had to pick up the slack for you and take care of this family because you weren't man enough to do your job! You think you were the only one that lost someone? Huh?" He yelled, finally getting every bit of anger off his chest that concerned his father.

"I want you outta my house too Eliot! You got no right to yell at me like that in MY HOUSE! DO YOU HEAR ME!"

"I hear ya," Eliot said softly. "Loud and clear old man. Hayley and I'll be gone in the morning." Neither of them moved for a moment, they just stared at each other in the eye, neither of them wanting to give up. Finally though, his father turned and walked away.

"Nice work intervening there Jonny!" he said to his brother, who had been standing idly by the whole conversation.

"Ain't my problem Eliot," he replied nonchalantly.

"Geeze Jonny, you're too much like Dad!" He said turned around and walked towards his sister's room. He didn't blame his father; at least he didn't want to. Part of him wanted to believe that his father acted the way he did was because it hurt him too much to be around his children; perhaps they reminded him to much of his wife. The other part of Eliot, the one that he knew was true, was that his father was just angry; angry at everyone for her death. But to Eliot, that was no excuse to turn your back on your family but that wasn't what had gotten to Eliot the most; what had gotten to him the most was that his father's reaction hadn't been a surprise at all. In fact, it had been a long time coming.

"Hayley, you wanna let me in?" he asked softly; he was met by sobbing from the other side of the door. "Hayley?" he tried again and this time she responded by unlocking the door. He opened it and went inside. They didn't speak to each other; he just held her as she cried in on his shoulder.

"How far along are you?" he finally asked.

"'Bout two months," she replied.
"Who's the father?"

"Guy named Steven Case. He's already back at college, he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, the jerk."

"So what are you gonna do kiddo?"

"You're not gonna tell me what to do?" she asked surprised.

"Nah. I think now's a good time for you to start making some good decisions," he said; the words had slipped out of his mouth. Hayley glared at him, angry and upset at him for judging her that way.

"I didn't mean it that way. I just meant, you're gonna have to make a lot of tough decisions Hales, and they ain't just gonna affect you anymore."

"I dunno El. Where am I gonna go? I can't raise a baby on my own."

"I don't have all the answers Hales," he began. "But I do have a spare room back at the base. And I know that you're not alone in this. Dad may not want anything to do with you, neither may this Steven guy," he said the names with disgust. "But I will always be here for you and the kid. Always."

"Thank you," she said.

"Hey, what are big brothers for."

AN- One chapter left but this is sort of the end. If anyone feels as though there are unanswered questions, please put them in a review or PM (because I've read it so many times I may have missed something) and I'll wrap it up in the next chapter which, by the way, is looking to be the final one of this instalment.

As for a sequel, which I am writing, slowly, I am willing to take requests as to what you want to see, I am, after all, writing this for your enjoyment.

Thanks to all those reviewing, please continue to.