So, this is Ethan's side of where the last Ryder and Katie chapter was going. Hope you enjoy it! (BTW: Sorry this chapter is so long. Anyways, stay awesome!)

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Lloyd's P.O.V.:

With Ashley going off to nursing school and Ryder moving in with Katie, we only had Ethan here. At first we decided to keep him enrolled in online school, but without his siblings he was starting to get lonely. Eventually we made the decision to put him in school, so he was now enrolled in 6th grade at the middle school.

Although, we never considered the possibility that his Oni form would have been a problem. As he got older, it would be harder to keep his powers under control. We thought school and being around other kids his age would be a good distraction, but we soon realized that it was doing the total opposite.

My wife was making breakfast as Ethan came downstairs. We all looked up on the stairs and saw him standing there in a purple sweatshirt and black sweat pants. He had long brown hair now that he was ten.

"Hey Ethan, you ready for school?" Kira asked him.

"I guess." He sighed and sat down at the table.

"Here tiger, your mom made scrambled eggs and toast." I put some on his plate.

"Why do I have to go to this stupid school again?" Ethan rolled his eyes. "I should be focusing on Ninja training, not fractions."

"We just thought with Ryder moving out and Ashley going away to college, it might be good for you." I said.

"Well it's not. I don't like it." Ethan pouted.

"You've only been at school for a couple weeks." Kira said. "Just stick it out until the end of the semester and then if you still don't think it's for you we can talk about it then. Deal?"

"Ok, fine." He sighed.

He reluctantly finished his breakfast  and grabbed his backpack. He outside and waited on the bus to get here.

"Lloyd I'm really worried about him." Kira frowned.

"I know, but if we pull him out now, he won't get to make any friends."

"I know, but maybe we put him in too early. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I'm sure it'll all work out. Just give it time."

"Alright." Kira sighed.

Ethan's P.O.V.:

I was in science class when the bell rang. I grabbed my backpack and went to lunch. I got my lunch and sat at the table with the one friend I managed to make in this school, it was a girl with curly red hair and brown eyes named Peyton.

Peyton was really the only one who introduced herself to me at that school and understood me. She had seen my little outbursts on my bad days, but she didn't care, it was like she knew that I just needed a friend. She was the one thing about this school that I actually liked.

"Hey Ethan." Peyton said as I sat down. "How has the day been?"

"I got a little angry in math when I had to solve for X. Seriously when am I ever gonna use any of this algebra stuff?" I said.

"Yeah, but that's what school wants us to learn I guess." Peyton shrugged.

"Yeah I guess. It's just a lot to keep up with. With school and my ninja lessons and training. It's a lot of work." I said.

"You are the son of the legendary green ninja." Payton said.

"I get it but it just fills up my entire day." I frowned. "I wish there was a way I could take a break from the routine."

"Well, the spring formal is coming up. That should be fun."

"What's a spring formal?" I asked.

"It's like a big party. There's dancing and punch and music and everyone wares their nicest clothes. You can even go with a date or with friends so you won't be alone."

"Oh, that sounds cool." I said.

"Ha ha!" A kid who was passing by our table laughed. "What kind of idiot doesn't know what a spring formal is?"

"Hey, this is his first one and he was homeschooled." Peyton defended me.

"Whatever, he's still a loser, and so are you for hanging out with him." The kid rolled his eyes and walked away.

"Don't listen to him." Peyton said. "That's Chet. He always finds a way to look down on other people."

"But that's not right." I frowned.

"Yeah, but what can you do?" She shrugged.

I frowned and tried my best to continue with my day. I couldn't stop thinking about how that boy behaved. How could he get away with saying stuff like that? I didn't get it.

After a few classes were over, I went to get my stuff out of my locker and saw the same kid again talking to Peyton, and their conversation didn't look very friendly. I decided to get closer so I could hear what they were saying.

"Tell you what, ditch the weird kid, you can go to the dance with me." Chet said leaning on a locker.

"First of all he's not weird, he's just new. And secondly, I wouldn't go to the dance with you for a million bucks." Peyton crossed her arms.

"Oh come on baby, you know I always get what I want, so why not make this easy for both of us." He said leaning closer to her.

"She said, she's not interested." I stepped in.

"And what are you going to do about it? Go full Oni on me? Do your famous spinjitsu?" He taunted.

He kept laughing and laughing. Peyton was trying to hold me back, but my temper got the better of me. Before I knew it, I had punched him in the face. He started screaming and holding his now bloody nose in pain. The we saw the principal coming from around the corner.

"Fowler! Garmadon! My office! Now!" The principal yelled.

The principal led us to his office and we sat down in the chairs outside of it while he called our parents. I knew my parents were supposed to be helping Ryder move into his new place today. They were going to be so mad.

"Ok boys, your parents are on the way to discuss the situation." The principal said sitting down at his desk. "Mr. Garmadon, you want to tell me what happened here?"

"I was getting stuff out of my locker and then I saw him flirting with Peyton..."

"Which I am allowed to do by the way." Chet interrupted.

"Not the way you were doing it. You were pushing her into an uncomfortable situation and I couldn't take it so I did what I had to do."

"You almost broke my nose!" Chet yelled.

"And I'll do it again if I hear you talk to my friend like that again!" I threatened.

"Ok, I've heard enough." The principal said. "Chet, you're free to go. Stop by the nurses office on the way out. Ethan, go with your parents when they get here. You're being suspended for two days."

"What?! He started this whole thing! Why is he not...?"

"Ethan, stop talking before you get three days." The principal said. "Now please take a seat while we wait for your parents."

I reluctantly sat down and crossed my arms. A few minutes later, my mom and dad came and ran in.

"What happened this time?" My dad asked.

"Your son decided to punch another boy in the face." The principal said.

"What?!" My mother looked at me.

"He was hitting on Payton and making her uncomfortable. I didn't know what else to do." I frowned.

"Then is the other kid getting suspended too?" My dad asked.

"No." The principal answered.

"Well why not?" My mom asked.

"Because he didn't hit a kid in the face." The principal said. "As you know, the school has a zero tolerance policy for violence and your son has had several incidents involving these kinds of situations. Therefore, the appropriate action here is a two day suspension, and if he messes up again it will result in expulsion."

"He's getting suspended for standing up for a friend?" My mom said.

"Because he chose violence, yes." The principal said. "He will also be banned from the Spring formal."

"Ok yes, maybe he shouldn't have gone about things the way that he did, but he protected his friend. Doesn't that count for something?" My mom said.

"Not when a student ends up with a bloody nose. And since we don't have any evidence of who started it and who said what, then the punishment stands." The principal said. "Now go home and take your little trouble maker with you."

My parents knew they couldn't win and took me back to their car. I didn't dare say a word the whole ride home.

When we pulled up to the monastery, I tried to run up to my room as fast as I could, but my mom stopped me.

"Oh no you don't. We aren't done talking about this young man." She said.

"Fine." I sighed and sat down on the couch with my parents.

"You wanna explain what happened today?" My dad asked.

"I thought I told you everything." I said.

"Ethan, tell us. Now." My dad said.

"There's a kid who picks on everyone, especially me and Payton, and then I saw him in the hallway trying to get her to go to the dance with him and she couldn't get him to leave her alone."

"And that's when you punched him?" My dad asked.

"No, I was just trying to get him to back off, but then he kept taunting me and I just lost it." I frowned.

"Oh, so this was another outburst?" My mom said.

"I guess it was." I said awkwardly. "I'm sorry but I just get so defensive around Peyton. She's pretty much the only friend I have at school and she's really nice. When I saw her like that, I couldn't just stand there, I had to help."

"We understand you were trying to help, but you should've gotten a teacher or someone else that could help you." My mom said.

"I've tried that before, they don't do anything about it. And the last time I got them involved I got in trouble instead." I said. "It's not like they listen anyway."

"Alright your mom and I will talk to the principal and try to get this all sorted out." My dad said.

"Thanks Dad." I said.

"But in the meantime, while you're suspended, there will be no video games, no tv, and you can pass the time by cleaning the monastery from top to bottom." My mom said.

"Fine." I sighed.

Suddenly Mom got a phone call and went into the hallway to take it. I went over to the kitchen sink and started to wash the dishes as part of my punishment. There wasn't anything else I could do.

Kira's P.O.V.:

I had gotten a call from Ryder, but it wasn't a good time, so I said I would call him back later, but to be honest he sounded really freaked out. I hoped everything was ok over there.

Anyway, I was on the phone with the principal and tried to talk some sense into him to reduce Ethan's punishment since he was defending another kid, but he didn't listen and the punishment stood. I then spent hours on my phone and worked my way up the corporate ladder until I spoke to the superintendent. They said that if Ethan can prove it was in self defense and get a statement from the girl he was protecting, he would reduce his punishment to a week of detention and would let him go to the Spring Formal next month. We really wanted him to attend that because it was chance to be a regular kid and not worry about all the Oni powers stuff.

"How's it going?" Lloyd asked me.

"I had to talk to five different people and be on hold for a total of six hours, but I finally got them to give him another chance. There's a school meeting tomorrow night. If Ethan can prove it was self defense, they'll reduce it to a week of detention and allow him to go to the dance."

"That's great." Lloyd said.

"Yeah, but we have to get Peyton to give a witness statement."

"I'm sure we can work that out. She's in Ethan's homeroom class so I should have her parents' numbers."

"Good idea." Then I looked at the time on my watch. "Oh no, I didn't call Ryder back!"

"Oh Ryder called you? What did he want?"

"I don't know but he sounded pretty on edge. I hope everything was alright."

"I'm sure he's probably asleep by now. You might want to just call him back in the morning." Lloyd said.

"Yeah, you're probably right." I yawned. "I'm pretty tired anyway and I have to work tomorrow, but I should be out by the time the meeting starts. I can try to clock out early if Ethan gets to be too much."

"No it's fine, you go to work. I can handle him on my own." He said.

"Ok." I yawned again. "Thanks honey. I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed my cheek. "Good night."

Lloyd's P.O.V.:

Kira was exhausted went straight to bed. I went to Ethan's bedroom and was reading his social studies text book.

"Ethan." I said peaking my head in the door.

"Ugh! What do you want me clean now?" He rolled his eyes.

"Nothing, you've done enough for tonight." I said. "I just came to tell you that your mom talked to the superintendent and he said if you can prove it was self defense, he'll reduce your punishment."

"Does that mean I get to go to the dance?" He asked.

"Yes, but your mom had to beg him for this second chance, so you better not mess it up again."

"Ok, I'll try to do better." Ethan frowned. "At least this way I can ask Peyton to the dance."

"Wait, is that why you're upset? Because you want to go to the dance with Peyton?"

"Yeah, I wanted to go with her because she's the only one who made me feel like I belong at that school." Ethan frowned. "I know it's important to keep my powers under control, but with Peyton, it's like I forget all of that. I finally get to feel like a normal kid."

"I understand. That's how I feel when I'm around your mom." I said.

"Eww, Dad that's gross."

"It's true, I went through a lot growing up, but whenever your mom and I were together, all my problems just disappeared. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with her."

"That's different. I'm not in love with Peyton."

"You're sure talking about her like you are."

"No I'm not, she's just a good friend who's always there for me. I mean, yeah, she's smart and funny and nice and cute and..."

Ethan suddenly stopped talking and we just stared at each other.

"Oh my gosh I'm in love!" Ethan laid on his bed and covered his face with his pillow and screamed into it.

"Ethan, being in love isn't a bad thing." I said trying not to laugh. "Do you want me to get Mom? She's better at this talk than me."

"Please don't involve more people in this." Ethan said, his face still in the pillow.

"Ok buddy. Why don't you get some sleep, you gotta be ready for tomorrow." I said.

"Ok." He said. "Good night Dad."

"Night Ethan."

I left and went back to my bedroom. Kira was fast asleep because she was really tired, so I didn't want to wake her. I laid down next to her and went to sleep. Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day without any more surprises.

The next afternoon

Ethan was upstairs cleaning the bathroom while Kira was at work. Ever since we enrolled Ethan in school, I have been trying to find a way to fill my time. I thought about going to school to get a degree in something, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. I never even went to high school, the only the school I ever went to was Darkly's Boarding School for Bad Boys, and I don't think picking locks is a skill that's going to get me a high school diploma.

My therapist said that being alone for this long every day isn't good for me, so I was looking to get a part time job, just something to keep me busy. Sometimes Ryder let me the special guest at his dojo where he teaches kids how to defend themselves. That was really fun. Maybe something like that would be good for me.

All of a sudden I heard the door open. I turned around to see Kira standing there in her scrubs.

"Kira, I told you that you didn't have to get off early, I could handle Ethan on my own." I said.

"I know but I ran into something that couldn't wait." My wife said.

I noticed Ryder and Katie were standing behind her.

"Oh, hey Ryder, hi Katie. Is everything ok?" He asked.

"Well, umm... yes, but we umm..." Ryder stuttered.

"Kira what's going on?" I asked.

"Just wait, this is their news to share, not mine." Kira said.

"What's going on? Somebody tell me." I said, growing impatient.

"Well... we... we are..." Ryder stuttered again.

"I'm pregnant." Katie blurted out.

My eyes lit up. I was not expecting them to say that.

"Ryder Wu, is this a prank?" I asked.

"It's not a prank Lloyd. I saw the sonogram picture." Kira said as she handed me the pictures.

I took a few minutes as I was staring at the sonogram pictures. I couldn't believe it. I was actually going to be a grandfather! I stared at them for about two whole minutes.

"Lloyd?" Kira tried to get his attention.

"Dad, look I know what you're going to say, and yes this is completely irresponsible of me, but the important thing is that I'm doing the right thing now by trying to be the father this baby deserves and I think that counts for something right? I mean I know it'll be harder to get the future we want now, but..."

I immediately stopped him from talking and pulled him into a hug. He was immediately taken aback and I smiled.

"Congratulations." He said as he took a few steps back.

"Wait, you're not mad?"

"Of course not." He smiled. "Why would I be?"

We stayed and talked about it for a while and I talked him through it and told him how proud I was of him for sticking by his Yang. Plus Kira and I were thrilled to have a new little grand-baby around and we told them we were here to help with whatever they needed.

Eventually they left to go tell Katie's father and Kira decided that she would go back to work and count this as her lunch break. I said goodbye and worked with Ethan on what he should say tonight at the meeting. I called Peyton's dad on the phone and told them about the incident and they said they would be more than happy to help us out.

Before we knew it, the time came and after Kira came home, we drove Ethan to the school. Peyton and her two older men were there and took their seats next to us.

"Hey, you're Ethan's parents right?" The man with brown hair asked me.

"Yes, I'm Kira and this is my husband Lloyd." Kira introduced us.

"We're Peyton's parents." The guy with blonde hair said as he shook my hand. "I'm Brian, and this is my husband James."

"Oh, nice to meet you." I said.

"We just wanted to say we are so thankful that your son protected our baby girl." James said.

"Yeah, people used to make fun of her for having two dads growing up, I guess people were less open minded back then and they constantly picked on her." Brian said.

"One time we had a play date planned, but the minute the mom walked in with her kid, she saw us standing at the door and walked right back to her car. The kid switched schools after that." James frowned.

"Word got around and none of the other kids talked to her for the rest of the year." Brian added.

"That's horrible." Kira said.

"We raise our kids to judge people on their behavior, not on things they believe or can't control." I said.

"Thanks, but unfortunately not everyone is raised that way." Brian frowned.

"We're just so glad that our daughter finally has a friend who can stand up for her." James smiled.

"She came out as bisexual a few years ago and since then the bullying has gotten worse. Hopefully now that Ethan is looking out for her, things will get better from here." Brian said.

"We had a conversation with Peyton, and we agreed that we will do everything we can to keep your son from getting suspended." James assured us.

"Thank you. That means a lot." I smiled.

"Peyton has made things so much easier on Ethan and his new school. We appreciate everything she did for him." Kira said.

"That's our baby girl." Brian smiled.

The board meeting began and we sat through it. Then at the end the principal came up to us. Ethan explained his side of the story and Peyton explained her side. The superintendent was happy with what they said and agreed to reduce Ethan's punishment to a week's worth of detention and he was still allowed go to the Spring Formal. I was proud of him for standing up for that girl.

I watched as he walked up to Peyton. He looked nervous.

"Hey Ethan, it's great that you get to go to the dance now." Peyton said.

"Yeah, about that." Ethan said, looking at the ground. "This is my first dance so I don't even know if I'm doing this right. Sorry if this isn't very romantic, but... do you think we could go... together? As in, like a... couple?"

"I would love that!" Peyton smiled.

"Really? That's so great!" Ethan smiled and gave her a hug.

I looked over at Kira and she was so happy it almost brought her to tears. I was glad to know our son was finally getting to experience the life of a normal kid.