Growing Up Troubles Alternate Ending
Author's note: A lot of people were annoyed that I killed off Chris in the end. Well, after years of not touching this story, I was reading it back and decided to do an alternate ending. What if Chris didn't die? How would it have ended then?
"Hello," Wyatt said into the phone, wiping his fallen tears with his spare hand. He looked at his daughter as he heard a voice over the other end from the hospital, "I'll be right there, thank you."
Wyatt stood still, shock had taken over his whole body. He didn't know how to deal with that news. Instantly, he started rushing around looking for car keys and his wallet.
"Dad?" Elizabeth's voice brought him back to reality, "Dad, what is it?"
Wyatt looked at his eldest daughter and gulped, his body now visible shaking.
"That was the hospital," Wyatt explained to her, "We need to get there right away."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked, as Jennifer and Scott joined them in the kitchen, "What's happened, Dad?"
"Dad?" Jennifer's quiet voice was too much for Wyatt.
"Chris, your dad, he's...he's..."
"No, don't say it Dad, he can't be," Elizabeth shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, "He can't be dead..."
"No, he's not," Wyatt shook his head, the conversation finally settling in, "We need to get there."
"Chris!" Wyatt grinned, seeing his husband sitting up in the hospital bed. Chris looked pale and ill, but at least he was awake.
"Dad!" Scott shouted out, pushing past Wyatt and rushing straight to the hospital bed. Nobody had the chance to tell the eight-year-old not to jump up on the bed before he did it, giving Chris the biggest hug possible.
"Scott..." Wyatt warned but Chris waved his husband off.
"It's fine, Wy," Chris smiled and hugged his son back. He didn't want to admit that he was struggling with this hug, "I'm so glad to see my boy," then he looked around Wyatt to see Jen standing towards the back, "And Jen. Come here will you?"
The 15-year-old beauty grinned and rushed over to her second father. Standing on the other side of the bed, she leaned over and gave him a big hug. Once the two kids stepped back, it was time for Wyatt. He made his way over to his husband and hugged him tight. He proceeded with a deep kiss, making it clear that he was never letting him go again.
"You scared me, Perry!" Wyatt told him, "I didn't know..."
"I know," Chris nodded his head, "But I'm fine. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."
"Papa?" A quiet voice called out from the doorway. There was only one person that that could be. Chris looked over at the door and smiled softly. Elizabeth stood there with tears in her eyes. The 16-year-old was unsure of herself. Should she go in there? Was Chris mad at her for everything she had said and done? He almost died because of her.
"Come here." Chris said softly and opened up his arms. The blonde-hair girl rushed to her dad and hugged him tightly.
"I'm so so sorry, Papa," she said, sobbing as she spoke, "I never should've...I just...I..."
"Hey!" Chris spoke, pushing his daughter backwards a little so he could look into her blue eyes. Tears were streaming down her face, but Chris tried to wipe them away, "There is nothing to be sorry for. I'd have dived into that water for you regardless of your actions. I wasn't going to let you die!"
"But you nearly died because of me."
"And I'd risk it all again," Chris shrugged his shoulders, "You may not agree with me, but you're my little girl. You always have been and you always will be."
"I am your little girl, Papa," Elizabeth nodded with a smile, "I'm so so sorry for everything."
She wrapped her arms around Chris again and pulled him into a tight hug. She meant every word. She was sorry and he was her dad. He'd had risked his life to save hers. He'd almost died because of her actions. Only someone who loved a person would do something like that.
It would take a few days, but Chris was finally allowed to leave the hospital. Friends had come and gone during those few days, and now he was left with Wyatt and Speedy helping him to get home. He hated the idea of relying on others, but he was still weak from the coma. The doctors had said that it would take some time to get full-strength back. It had been serious, and he couldn't expect to go back to normal overnight.
"I called Bianca, by the way," Wyatt said as they were getting into the car, "I thought she deserved to know."
"You mean you thought Josh deserved to know," Chris nodded his head, there was no way that Wyatt was going to call Bianca just for her sake, "She never came here."
"She's meeting us at the house," Wyatt explained and then started driving back home. Chris knew not to push for too much information. Despite Bianca being out of their lives for 17 years, it was still a difficult conversation to have. But Wyatt was right, she did deserve to know and Josh certainly did. He'd only just met his dad, and he was nearly taken away from him, "I'm sure Josh will be coming too."
"Now would be a good time to discuss things about Lizzie," Chris said, "I don't think we should send her to boarding school."
Speedy sat in the back of the car, listening to the two of them discuss the plans for their children. He smiled realizing just how much they had grown up, and how much this experience had calmed them. The last few days Wyatt was happier and calmer with Elizabeth. She had even started doing as she was told and listened to her father. As bad as it was, the accident was just what was needed to make this family whole again.
"What about Josh and Lizzie?" Wyatt then brought up the subject, "Do we discuss their plans for the future?"
"If there are any plans," Chris shrugged his shoulders, "I'd like to put it out there and say I want to be a part of his life now."
Wyatt nodded his head with a frown. He knew it was coming, and it wasn't something he could argue with. He'd just gotten his husband back, giving him the opportunity to be a biological father to someone couldn't break them up.
As soon as they got to the house, Chris saw Bianca's car. Wyatt pulled into the driveway and got out, grabbing Chris' bags. Speedy followed, opening the door for his friend to make it easier for him to get out of the car. All Chris was allowed to do was get out of the car and go straight to the house. He didn't go straight there though. He stopped to look at Bianca and Josh who were now getting out of her car.
"Chris!" Bianca rushed over to him, hugging him tightly. Wyatt's jaw clenched as he watched the two of them together. He realized that there was still jealousy there. Speedy grabbed Wyatt and pulled him towards the house.
"They're just friends." He said in a whisper. Wyatt knew that, but there was also history between them, and there was now a child to bond them together.
"I'm okay, B," Chris smiled and then looked at Josh, "It's good to see you."
Josh fidgeted on the spot, not sure how to deal with this situation. Chris decided to take the first move and invite them into the house he shared with Wyatt and his adopted children.
"Dad, you're home!" Scott grinned and ran straight to Chris, almost knocking him over. Chris stumbled backwards, grateful that Bianca was there to help steady him, "Sorry!"
"It's okay, Scott," Chris ruffled his eight-year-old's hair, "Why don't we go into the living room. You're dear old dad needs to sit down."
"You're not old, Papa." Lizzie now spoke out. How long had she been in the doorway to the kitchen? Chris smiled at his eldest daughter, and then saw that she was looking at Josh. The two had some talking to do. Everyone had some talking to do.
"Lizzie, Josh, why don't you two talk somewhere for a few minutes," Chris suggested, seeing an inquisitive look on both Bianca and Wyatt's faces, "There's a few things that you need to discuss, and a few things that we do too."
Josh nodded his head and followed Elizabeth into one of the other rooms. Chris looked at Wyatt and Bianca, making it clear that they were all going to sit down and have this conversation.
"I've got homework to do." Scott suddenly decided, almost as if he could tell that this was time for a grownup conversation, and went upstairs to his room. Speedy made another excuse, and it was left to the three parents to decide what they were going to do about their children.
"We've talked," Elizabeth said, walking into the living room followed by Josh, "We've decided what we're going to do."
"We're going to breakup," Josh answered the unasked question, "It's just too weird knowing that we have the same dad."
"Even if I'm adopted." Elizabeth nodded her head, again answering the unasked question.
"It's best if we're just friends," Josh spoke, "And I'd like to get to know my dad."
Chris smiled and nodded, "I'd like to get to know you too."
Chris then turned to his husband and ex-girlfriend, checking that the two of them agreed with all this. Bianca happily accepted, knowing that her son deserved to know his father. Wyatt agreed, but Chris knew that they were going to have a conversation about this later. It would be worth the conversation though. Bianca had given Chris something he realized he had craved for some time, something that Wyatt always had; a biological child of his own and a biological family.
THE END