*~*One Year Later*~*

"Honey?" Ari called out from the bedroom. When met with no answer, she crawled from the warm bed and wrapped the soft fleece blanket over her shoulders. She padded out quietly and found Ethan still on his laptop filling out his university admission paperwork. "Babe?"

"Oh...hey Scooby," Ethan looked up from the keyboard, "Feeling any better, sweetheart?" He held out his arm and drew her against his side.

Ari leaned into her young husband's side and laid her head on his. "A little but I'm really hungry. Starving actually. Any chance you could run out for food...pleeeeeeease?"

"Um...sure thing," he nodded but frowned a little, "but will you end up throwing it up again? If this flu sticks around another day, I'm taking you to the doctor's. Just let me save this." He finished the sentence he was in the middle of and then saved his place before closing the laptop.

She smiled cutely and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, hunny bunny." Ari curled up on the sofa and checked her phone. Only ten text messages from her Dad today plus one from her Mom telling her to message her Dad.

"So what do you want?" he asked, shrugging into his jacket and finding his keys and wallet.

"I've been dying for some fried chicken and queso. We need more Tab cola or I'll end up raiding Uncle Lema's fridge."

"You know Dad will forgive you anything," Ethan chuckled and kissed her forehead from behind, "Wait a minute?! Did you just ask for," his face screwed up in disgust, "fried chicken and queso, babe?! Ugh!"

Ari glanced up at him and blinked innocently. "Yeah! The crunchiness and cheesy goodness." She licked her lips and smiled.

"That's just fucking gross," he said, "but okay. Just don't ask me to participate in the mix. I'll be back soon, okay?" Ethan made his way upstairs, heading for the garage. He waved to his parents in the living room as he walked past.

Leesha looked up from the movie she and David were watching and cocked an eyebrow. "Where are you going this late?"

"Ari's hungry," he replied with a shrug, "so I'm heading out. She hasn't been feeling well and hasn't been able to keep anything down for a couple of days so I figure if she's hungry, she must be feeling better. Know anywhere that I can get fried chicken and queso at this time of night?"

"Fried chicken and WHAT?!" David exclaimed.

"Hmm...weird combo but I've had stranger ones. We should have the cheese and Rotel in the cupboard for queso. Need me to whip some up?"

"Since when do you whip anything this late?" Dave whispered to his wife.

Leesha tossed her half of their blanket over David's head and stood from the couch. "Nando's in Red Bank should still be open. I'll take care of the queso."

"Thanks, mom," Ethan said and kissed her cheek on her way past him, "You two need anything?"

"Yeah! More Tab cola. Your little wifey has been in my studio fridge!" David grabbed his wallet from the coffee table and held out two 20s to his son.

"She said she'd been drinking it," he nodded, taking the proffered money, "I'll get some more. It's weird though, coz she doesn't normally drink that shit. Guess it must be the flu doing strange things. Thanks, dad. See ya soon!"

Once out of ear shot, David hobbled into the kitchen with his cane behind his wife and watched her take out a large saucepan. "Fried chicken and queso? That's as strange as your smoked sausage, cheese and egg fry up. You remember that shit? You went through eggs by the dozen. Bacon too." He laughed and popped open a bottle of beer from the fridge.

"Babe, come on. You know you can't drink alcohol for 24 hours after chemo starts," she said and took the can from his hands. David had started his second round of cancer treatment, battling the initial nausea and vomiting. The beer had been more second nature to pick up. She gave him a bottle of water, much to his dismay. "And yes I remember vividly. It was all I could stomach with Ethan." Leesha paused in the preparation of the dip and blinked at her husband. "Oh shit...."

Dave stopped in the middle of a large gulp of water, the two staring at each other for the space of a heartbeat before he lowered the bottle. "No...No..."

"Hey there, sexy Grampa," she grinned and did a little happy dance.

"Goddamnit! Jon's gonna kill me!"

"No...he'll be gunning for Ethan for knocking Ari up. Okay...okay, let's calm down," Leesha breathed, "Nothing's been confirmed and by the sounds of it, even they don't know they are. So not a fucking word to either of them to spoil the surprise. Got it?!" She waggled the wooden spoon at him and eyed David menacingly.

He raised an eyebrow. "First Colton...now Ethan...two Bongiovi girls..."

Leesha turned the pan to low heat and slid into David's arms, tilting her face up to his, "What have you always said, hon? Something about the Bryan men being irresistable?" She scratched her nails through his chest hair which showed signs of gray these days. "Well, you're all that and good baby-makers by the looks of things."

"Maybe we'll get another set of twins. We got two sets so far!"

"Now that will freak Jonny out!" Leesha laughed, "You can't breathe a word, okay?"

"Fine fine..." David dipped his head and kissed his wife deeply, moaning into her mouth when her fingertips danced over his cool skin. "Honey?"

"Yes?"

"You're smokin'..."

"Thanks, babe...you're not so bad yourself."

"No, I mean your cheese is smokin'!" He nodded to the stove behind her.

"Oh! Oh shit!" she exclaimed and pulled the pan off the heat and quickly repaired the damage to the snack and poured it into a dish to keep it warm. "Here...take this down to Ari...stretch your legs." She handed him a bag of tortilla chips as well. "And not one fucking word."

David sighed and headed to the basement apartment. He knocked and peeked in at Ari's quiet, "Come in?"

"Order of queso for Tab thief...order of queso for Tab thief..." He grinned and set the chips and dip on the coffee table. "Don't worry," he continued at her watery eyes, "You're always welcome to anything here." He kissed his daughter-in-law's forehead. "You feeling okay? Ethan said you were under the weather."

"Thanks Uncle Lema," Ari replied with a smile, "Um, yeah...just a stomach flu, I think. I haven't been able to keep anything down...but I'm ravenous now."

"Yeah I know the feeling." He thought of earlier and the McDonalds he'd been unable to stomach. "If you need anything, let us know and..." He was cut off in surprise when Ari sniffed and dived for the chip and dip.

"Oh god," the young woman groaned, "Soooo good!" She had barely swallowed her first mouthful before diving in for another scoop.

David shook his head and rubbed her blanket-covered back. "I'll leave you and the dip alone before I lose a finger. Love you, munchkin."

Ari grinned up her uncle and blew him a dip covered kiss before another chip disappeared into the cheese concoction.

She was halfway through the dip 20 minutes later when Ethan returned. "Got you a mix of white and dark pieces, baby," he said proudly with a smile and set the bucket of chicken on the table in front of her.

"Thank god! What took you so long?" she demanded. Then suddenly her face went blank and her nostrils flared, "Oh god," she breathed and fled from the couch, almost tripping over the blanket as she ran to the bathroom, reaching the porcelain just in time for all the contents of her now queasy stomach to empty into.

Ethan knelt down with a wet washcloth and a glass of water, cooling off her neck and holding back her hair. "Baby, why won't you let me take you to--"

"Get...that...out..."

"Get what out, baby?"

"Chicken...out..."

"Really?!" he asked in surprise, "You don't want any?"

"Out!"

"Fuck man," Ethan grumbled and stalked from the bathroom, grabbing up the chicken bucket sadly. He stomped up the stairs and ignored the two sets of eyes on him, throwing the chicken on the counter. "Women...I swear to God..."

"Wow...she kicked you AND the chicken out?" David called out, a note of teasing in his voice.

"Took one fucking sniff of it and had to throw up," he said, "After I went out especially for it! I mean...what the fuck is that?!"

"Story of my life," his Dad replied with a chuckle. "Maybe she'd prefer...a bun or peanuts?"

"A bun or fucking peanuts?!" Ethan looked quizzically at his father, "What the hell? Those medications finally sending you loopy, old man?!"

He sighed when his mother's arm raised up over the couch, holding a thin blue box in the air. "What's that?" Ethan moved closer and took the box, his eyes widening. "Fuck...you and Dad adding another? Sam's only 1."

"Seriously, where did your brains go, child?" Leesha stood and handed over the pregnancy test to Ethan, "Or do I need to spell it out for you?!"

Ethan blinked at his mother, then looked at his dad. Leesha had an eyebrow quirked at him in disbelief whereas David was grinning proudly at him. He felt blindly behind him for a seat and fell heavily into one of the overstuffed couches.

"Consider this your right of passage as a Bryan man...a foolish, hypersexual man with Olympic level swimmers...six to the wall, baby...bam!" David laughed at his own joke, relishing in his son's shock.

"Oh...fuck," Ethan breathed feeling slightly queasy himself now, "But...but what about Uni?! What the hell am I gonna do there?" He got up suddenly and paced the room, "No! No, it's only the stomach flu...she'll be fine in a few days," he insisted, thrusting the box back at his mother.

"Oh she'll be fine...in about nine months," Leesha reassured and shoved the box into Ethan's hands. "Don't worry. Your Dad and I will help you two." She pulled her son into a hug and choked up when he sighed. "My sweet beautiful boy...you've become such a fine young man. Now...it's time to be a good Father as well...as good as the one that raised you." She brushed his hair from his eyes as she had done all his life and kissed his cheek.

David clapped a hand on Ethan's shoulder and smiled. "Ari needs you to be that strong man for her. Now go have her take the test and let us know the result. We'll handle Jon and Julie. Don't contact them tonight, okay son?"

Ethan hugged his Dad. "I need to sleep on this for a bit. I'll have her take it tomorrow morning." He left his parents in the living room and found Ari fast asleep when he returned. He tucked the pregnancy test under his pillow and snuggled next to his wife, his hand grazing lightly over her belly and kissed her cheek. "Sleep tight, Scooby."

*~*

"Um...wait...are you saying what I think you're saying?!" Julie exclaimed over the phone. She glanced out the window to make sure Jon was still by the river with Stephie and their granddaughters.

"Another BryanJovi? Yeah...her home test was positive so we took her to the doctor and got it confirmed," Leesha replied.

"Huh!" Julie breathed, leaning against the window, "She hasn't said a word to me." That part hurt her a little; isn't a mother supposed to be one of the first to know?!

"I think part of the fear is how Jon will react. You saw how he was when it was Colton and Steph...he'll end up going off on Dave...again..."

"I remember," Julie sighed as she watched her family happily play on the lawn, "Lord knows we've had enough of that."

"He acts like it's my hubby's fault that his bloodline is exceptionally fertile!"

"Ha, it's more the fact that D's sons are having sex with his daughters," Julie smiled. "I won't say anything to Jon yet but tell Ari not to leave it too long, okay? I won't ruin their surprise."

Leesha smirked and peeked out at David helping Ari learn a new song on the guitar. "Can you get away from Jon this afternoon? It would do Ari some good to talk to you first.

"Yeah, Steph and the girls are here so they'll keep him busy," Julie said, moving from the window, "I'll call Ari when I get off the phone. Maybe I can suggest a girl's shopping trip? Want to come with us?"

"I think you two need some mother daughter time. I'll make a nice dinner later on and all of us can sit down and talk..." She eyed David as he wandered to the fridge for two cold drinks.

"Sounds like a plan, honey, thanks," Julie smiled, "I'll bring...dessert, shall I?"

"Who's for dessert?" David asked loudly.

"Is he part bat with that supersonic hearing? Isn't he as deaf as Jon yet?" Julie chuckled.

"Speakerphone," Leesha answered meekly.

"Oh! Did Ari hear our conversation?" Julie asked a little horrified.

"Nah...my nosy husband is raiding the fridge again. We were running out of options with his decreased appetite. Got him to smoke some weed and seems to be helping."

"Jules?" David's voice was closer and low enough for Ari not to hear. "You say you're bringing me dessert, baby?"

"Hmm maybe...something sweet and sugary and dripping with juice?" Julie laughed at the silence from the other end of the phone line. She was thinking of the pavlova she could whip up after the outing with Ari. The fluffy concoction of sugar and egg whites, cooked with a thin crust and topped with fresh fruits was her favourite from home, "Maybe with some whipped cream, too?"

"Jesus Christ, woman," David breathed. "Leave Jon home...come alone..."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Lema. I was talking about a pavlova," Julie snickered, "Now get off the phone so I can ring my daughter, please?"

"Fine fine...but I'll get you my pretty and your little pussy too," David cackled like a witch and the phone disconnected.

Julie rolled her eyes and dialed Ari's phone next. "Hi mama!" She answered cheerfully.

"Hey, honey, how are you?" Julie asked casually, trying not to give anything away. "I haven't heard from you for a couple of days so I thought maybe you and I could go out for a couple of hours? Take Daddy's card and go shopping?"

Jon walked in right at that moment and stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the last sentence. "Who?" he mouthed.

"It's Ari, Rockstar," Julie explained, moving the phone away from her mouth for a moment, "Daddy says it's fine." She poked her tongue out him when he cast his stink-eye her way. Jon rolled his eyes heavenward and held his arms up but grinned back his wife.

"Well, if he says it okay...," Ari giggled, "That sounds like a great idea, mom. I kinda have something I want to talk to you about anyway. Will you come get me or should I come over to you?"

"Oh?" Julie asked, "Anything important?"

"Um...maybe," Ari hedged, "I don't want to get into it on the phone just yet. Is that okay?"

"Sure honey. I'll come get you in, say, an hour?"

"Okay. See you then, mom. Give daddy a hug for me?"

"Will do, sweetheart. See you soon. Bye." Julie disconnected the call and smiled wistfully.

"Uh-oh. What's that look for, babe?" Jon asked as he opened the fridge and got two juice boxes out for the girls.

"Will you be okay with Steph and the girls while I take Ari out for the afternoon?" Julie asked as she hooked her arms around Jon's neck, tilting her head up for a kiss, "She hasn't been feeling well, so I thought a little time with her might help her feel better. Oh! Dinner at the Bryan's tonight too."

"Again?! Does Leesha ever stop cooking?!"

"I'm making a pavlova for dessert," she cooed up at him, "With fresh cream...that may or may not make it onto the top of it."

"Mmm now you're talking, baby." He waggled his eyebrows and grinned wolfishly. He reached for his wallet and pulled out his black credit card, "Go wild, babe." He smacked her on the ass and almost jogged out to his girls on the grass.

**

Ari stopped when they came to the baby section in Nordstrom, ignoring her mother who was gabbing on and on about planning a family vacation. Her fingers grazed over soft tulle and cotton, onesies and pink tutus.

The pregnancy test and doctor visit played like a movie in her mind, seeing two little peanuts curled up inside her on the monitor. She could still feel Ethan's cool hand holding her own, her in-laws off to the side and watching the two with pride.

She picked up a fleece one-piece with a hood and enclosed feet, the ultrasound photos in her purse burning white-hot.

"What have you found, sweetheart?" Julie came up behind her daughter, hoping she'd given her an opening into the conversation. "Oh, that so sweet. You used to have something similar to that. Daddy picked it out...he'd try to put you in it even when the weather was too hot." She was determined not to push Ari even if it was killing her. Julie sighed a little and started to move away when Ari called to her.

"Mom?!"

"Hmm?" Julie watched her dig around in her purse and pull out a smallish square, running her fingertips over it. Julie knew that look well from her pregnancy with the young woman standing nervously before her.

Ari handed it over to Julie and clasped her hands together nervously.

Julie looked down to the photo and brought her hand to her mouth in surprise,tears springing to her eyes when she saw not one, but two precious little blobs nestled in their cushiony home. Julie raised her eyes to Ari's and exclaimed, "Oh baby! I'm so happy for you!" before pulling Ari into a fierce hug.

"You're...you're not mad?" Ari asked.

"Why on earth would I be mad, baby?" Julie stood back and brushed Ari's hair from her face.

"Because we're only 19?" Ari said, "It's what Daddy will say, won't he?"

"Oh sweetheart," Julie sighed, "It might but it's only because he loves you so much. He'll come around. Look how much he loves Bella and Zoe?! Just don't keep it a secret from him, okay?"

"We'll tell him tonight," Ari said as happy tears ran down her face, "Mom?! I'm gonna be a mommy."

Julie could only hope that Jon would take the news well and not cause a scene at dinner tonight.

"And I'm gonna be a Nana," she said, and then because she couldn't hold back any longer, yelled, "I'm going to be a Nana!" The startled staff and few customers cheered and clapped.

"C'mon," Julie laughed and hooked her arm around Ari's waist, "we need to put a dent in Daddy's card, babymine."

They spent the next hour picking out two of every conceivable neutrally coloured baby outfits, strollers, cribs and changing tables and organising to have it all delivered to the Bryan household over the next week.