Trade Offs (Part Two)

Luke stormed out the hospital and Ethan was close behind, as he tried to wipe away the tears in his eyes and shake away the shock of Bianca's words.

She was pregnant.

She was going to have a baby, his baby, and he was dead. He would never meet that child until it was too late. He follows Luke out to where he caught a cab and climbed in.

Luke gave the driver and address and sat in the back of the car drumming his fingers in his leg impatiently.

Ethan vaguely wondered where they were going when Luke's phone rang. The blonde barely glanced at the name before answering and putting it to his ear. "Yeah?" Ethan moved closer to Luke to a point which would've been too close had Luke known he was there. "I'm fine Annabeth," Luke sighed.

"I doubt that," Annabeth's voice responded, and Ethan couldn't stop the chill which went down his spine. "Your best friend just died."

"He's not my friend."

"Well he was at once point, and now he's gone. You can't possibly tell me you're okay with that? I mean how long has it been since you met him?"

Luke gave a sigh and tightly closed his eyes, "We met his senior year."

"It's been that long?" Ethan wondered aloud. It had felt like such a long time he couldn't even remember how they had met much less when it had been.

"Bianca's pregnant," Luke said after a pause.

For a moment there was silence before her voice came again, "Did he know?"

"No, he didn't. I doubt he'd be running around with them had he known. He was a fucking dumbass, but he had heart somewhere in that darkness."

"And how do you feel about that?"

Luke opened his eyes and looked out the window, "I wanna kill the guy who did this to him myself. But don't worry Annie, for now I need to go home and get a few drinks in me, I'm supposed to meet with my dad tonight."

"You enjoy that."

"I won't."

"Don't do anything too stupid Luke. And my name isn't Annie."

"Yeah, yeah." He hung up his phone without another word and his fingers returned to their tapping as Ethan wondered why the hell Luke would meet with the man he hated most in the world.

~~~~

Ethan went with Luke all the way to his apartment. When he went inside he was surprised to see that it was basically the same as it had been the lasts time he had been there years before.

It was still a small one bedroom apartment which was covered in his and Thalia's things. After walking around and inspecting the place he found Luke sitting in his chair watching TV a beer beside him. Ethan watched him for a moment, then he reached for the beer and was disappointed that his hand went straight through it, he could certainly use a beer or even six right now.

"At least you miss me," Ethan sighed watching him. "'Cause I certainly missed you."

About an hour of watching TV must've passed before the door to the apartment opened and two voices sounded,

"Yes I'm positive!" Thalia's voice laughed.

"I'm just making sure," another voice replied laughing.

The voices made their way down the hall until Thalia and Luke's father, Hermes Castellan, rounded the corner.

"You're supposed to take the trash out, not in Thalia," Luke commented not looking away from the TV.

"Are you ready for dinner?" Mr. Castellan asked him.

Luke glanced at his bottle, than downed the last couple sips and stood, "I had hoped to finish off a few more of these, but alright."

"Are you going to change?"

Luke looked down at his black suit. "What's wrong with this?"

"You went to a funeral in it."

Luke shrugged, "I'm going to dinner with you now, what's the difference?"

Mr. Castellan rolled his eyes, "It's been awhile since we made this agreement Luke. Are you going to be difficult each month?"

"You'd be more surprised if I didn't resist."

"True, now let's go."

The ride to the restaurant was awkwardly silent, but neither father nor son did anything to ease the tension. It made Ethan wonder how long it would be until one cracked, and it finally happened when they had ordered their food at some restaurant.

"How are you feeling?" Mr. Castellan asked Luke finally.

"Fine."

"If I have learned anything about you it's that you never mean fine when you say it."

Luke sipped at his alcohol, "You aren't my shrink."

"No I'm not," his father agreed. "We agreed that I wouldn't try to be your shrink, but we also agreed that you'd tolerate me once a month and in return I support you."

"I don't want you to support me," Luke responded. "If I could just get a job, but I can't because of..." he trailed off and took another sip of his drink.

"You could always come back and work with-"

"No. You know I'd never do that," Luke cut in placing his glass down on the table with more force than necessary.

"I can always hope."

They fell into a silence once more before Luke shifted in his seat, "How are Travis and Connor?"

"They're alright," Mr. Castellan nodded clearly pleased by the change in conversation. "Getting into trouble as usual, but it's nothing more than pranks so I don't really mind."

"That sounds like them," Luke chuckled.

"You should call them sometime. They miss you Luke. They used to come visit you all the time, but since you got out you- you just cut them out completely."

"I did," Luke nodded. "It's better that way."

"For them or for you?"

Luke didn't respond and the two fell into silence until their salads arrived. "I need to work somethings out first," Luke explained to him. "I'm not gonna drag them down with me."

"It's been nine months Luke."

"I'm aware," Luke told him stabbing at his lettuce. "Let's just eat huh?"

His father sighed, but nodded, "Alright."

"Ready to go home?" Hermes Castellan asked Luke when they were ready to leave the restaurant.

Luke shook his head and stared into his half empty glass of water.

His father rolled his eyes, "I meant your apartment not the manor."

"I know," Luke said standing. "But I don't want to go home just yet."

"Then where?"

"Take me to the cemetery. I don't care if it's closed."

Ethan stared at his one time friend searching his face looking for the joke, but Luke looked eerily serious. Ethan looked up to Mr. Castellan to see the man seemed just as shocked, but even so he nodded and took out his keys as he stood. "Which one?"

~~~~

It looked the same as it did hours ago. A large rectangular hole, a large mound of dirt beside it, and a coffin on it other side. Besides the sun setting nothing had changed, so Ethan wasn't exactly sure why he broke down.

He had sat through all of his funeral and had been completely fine, but here and now staring at the coffin in the moonlight it was different.

His eyes began to burn and sobs began to shake his body and he couldn't stop them. His legs gave out and he fell to the ground as he tried to wipe away his tears. Tentatively he moved and reached closer to his own coffin, wanting to touch the wood. Though stopped suddenly as he heard and saw out of the corner of his eye as sat down beside him staring at the coffin.

Ethan lowered his arm and took a deep breath in, realizing he hadn't been breathing. Though unlike he didn't feel the usual gratitude of his lungs. He felt nothing. He wiped away his tears and put his hand down on the grass beside him and frowning when he found he couldn't feel it. He took a deep breath in through his nose, but he smelled nothing.

"I'm really dead aren't I?" Ethan asked aloud.

"I'm going to find them," Luke whispered quietly catching Ethan's attention. "Whoever killed you, I'm going to find them. Despite everything between us I have to. Because I- because..." Luke trailed off and gave a sigh.

"You don't need to do anything," Ethan responded.

Luke stood up and Ethan stood up in front of him, but Luke just looked through him to stare at the coffin, but Ethan tried anyway. "Please Luke if there is anyway you can hear just listen. I need you to move on with your life. If you're having a hard time with my death, I don't want you to ever find out who killed me."

"Because," Luke said again turning around and walking back to the car where his father was waiting.

Ethan watched go for a minute before it deemed to dawn on him and he began running after Luke barely noticing as he ran straight through tombstones. "Luke!" He shouted. "Luke please!"

Luke only walked on and climbed in the passenger seat and shut the door.

"I'm not worth it," Ethan whispered as the car pulled off. "I'm not worth it..."

~~~~

He wasn't exactly sure how he made it back to the hospital.

After Luke had left him in the cemetery things became somewhat blurred. Either way here he stood staring down at Bianca's sleeping face. She looked peaceful and he was pleased she did rather than the sobbing he had witnessed earlier.

He was still struggling to wrap his mind around her- no their situation. He was supposed to be a father, him of all people was supposed to nurture and care for someone who couldn't do it themselves.

"That kid's better off without me," He sighed sitting on the corner of Bianca's bed. "It will be safe from Oracle that way, and not mention I have no clue what to do with a baby. It's not like my parents were good examples," he continued speaking aloud his thoughts as if they were somehow going to justify this and make him feel better. "I'd be a horrible parent. But I still want to be there. I-" he cut himself off suddenly as Bianca moved underneath her thin sheet and readjusted herself still asleep.

He took a deep breath out of habit when he felt the prickle in his eyes and the tears welling again. "It's all my fault," he said suddenly and rage for himself bubbled in his chest as he began to cry openly. "It's my fault I'm dead! It's my fault Luke is gonna get himself killed trying to find them! It's my fault I'm leaving you as a single mother! And leaving you no father! It's all my fault..."

Luke introduced you to the gang. Part of his mind argued, If anyone is truly at fault, it's him. Don't hate us. Hate the one who ruined your life. Who stole it away from you and the ones you cared about. I mean why else would he go to such lengths to find our killer? He feels guilty. That's why. Don't be mad at us, be mad at Luke.

The tears slowed their fall as he realized the truth in the words. He hands curled into fists and he could nearly feel as his own nails dug into his palm.

"It is Luke's fault," he said to the air standing. "So what if he gets himself killed doing this? Or so what if he learns the truth? He deserves-"

Ethan's was cut off suddenly as he felt his body jerk and he found himself in a bedroom. On the bed slept Thalia and Luke.

Ethan's anger fizzled and died as he confused about how he had ended up here in the first place. Was this how he had gotten to the hospital too? Ethan sighed and shook his head, and walked out of the room. He walked boredly before deciding to sit in Luke's chair. He sat and drummed his fingers on the arm of it restlessly trying to figure out what to do with himself until people woke.

"Wish this was like a movie," he told the air as he tried to relax. "'Cause then I'd haunt and scare the shit out of them."

~~~~

"Are you ever planning on leaving?" Zoë asked Ethan annoyed.

Ethan shrugged and nuzzled into his pillow, "Nope, I'm comfy. And drunk. Like reaaally drunk."

"Nice to know my boobs are comfy."

Ethan looked away from Zoë and looked up to see Bianca's face. He frowned and and stared at her reddening face confused, "When'd you get here?"

Bianca rolled her eyes and her blush deepened, "I live here idiot."

"Whaaa?"

"You're in our apartment," Zoë commented drawing his attention once more. "Ya know the one, Bianca, Thalia, and I share?"

"Oh yeah..." Ethan said sitting up straight.

"So are you gonna leave?"

Ethan paused thinking, "No. Thalia and Luke went back to our apartment. And they're too loud. C-can I just sleep on the floor?"

"No."

"Oh, let him be Zoë," Bianca laughed. "I think he's too drunk to walk home. He can just sleep here on the couch."

Ethan smiled and laid down once more, before Bianca pushed him off. "You can't sleep on-"

"You're eyes are basically black."

She gave him an amused look, "I'm aware."

"They're like space."

"Space?"

"Scary yet super pretty and cool."

She blushed and looked away from him, but Ethan gently grabbed her face and turned her back to him so he continue to stare into her dark eyes. "They're really cool."

She said something else, but it didn't register in Ethan's mind. The next thing he knew he has kissed her.

Shit.

He jolted back his eyes wide. "Shit! I'm sorry I-"

"That sobered him up," Zoë's voice laughed from the side but Ethan kept his gaze trained on Bianca.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Ethan?" She asked looking at him a blush on her face.

"Yes?"

"It's alright."

"It is?"

She gave him a smile before she leaned in and kissed him. After a moment she leaned back and gave him a shy smile, "Yeah it is. But nothing else is until a couple dates."

A stupid smile found its way onto Ethan's face, "Can we go on a date now?"

Bianca leaned back and began to laugh so hard tears came to her eyes. "I must be super drunk too," she laughed. "So, where we going?