Calum : "So when were you going to tell me huh 'dad'?! If I can still call you that! Or do you want me to just call you Calum? Or maybe Mr. Hood?" Your seventeen year old son snarls, glaring at Calum "Jay...look, your mom and I thought it was best you didn't know" Calum says firmly, trying to calm down the furious teenager "what you thought because you look 'Asian', you could just adopt some Indonesian kid and pass him off as your own?!" Jay yells, throwing his hands in the air "yes! Yes that's exactly what we thought! And it worked didn't it?" Calum exclaims, his eyes wide "this...you just...you and mom-(Y/N)...why would you do this? Why did you adopt me?" Jay asks, biting his lip "we wanted a child so badly, and every time we tried, it didn't work out, there were countless miscarriages, stillborns and...one survived-Angelina-but she was a premie...premature, and she didn't live longer than a week...and your mother... (Y/N)-it was too much for her...so we found you" Calum sighs rubbing his hands over his face, Jay shakes his head, his eyes closed, he is pale and looks as if he is going to throw up "all these years...you had me thinking I was-I was someone I'm not, had me thinking I was your son" he spits "you are" Calum says quietly "all it takes to become a father is a bit of sperm, but to become a dad-to become a dad...that takes love, patience, determination, dedication, strength, will and heart...I may not be your father Jay...but I am definitely your dad" he states, holding onto Jay's shoulder tightly, the young boy looks at him for a second and then wraps his arms around his dad tightly, a stray tear running down his cheek.
Luke: "Go on then! See if I care!" The fifteen year old yells from inside her room "Aliana please don't make me leave like this!" Luke begs, he rattles the door handle, but it's locked "Ali please! You know I have no choice!" He cries, leaning against the door "I said go! Leave me alone! I hate you!" She shouts "Aliana! You can't speak to me like that! I'm still your father!" He exclaims, anger building inside him "I don't care! Look just go! I don't want to see you!" She snarls, sighing Luke looks at his watch "Ali, I have to go in five minutes, please open the door, I love you, and I need to see you one more time...please! I'm going for ten months Aliana, you won't see me for ten months...look I know it's hard on you, me going on tour for so long, but it's my job baby, I have to do it...please just come out and give your old dad a hug" Luke begs, there is silence and he sighs "I'll miss you Al, stay safe..." he murmurs, turning and grabbing his suitcase, he walks out, he loads his luggage into his car and is about to get in when, the front door is flung open and Aliana comes flying down the porch steps "wait daddy" she cries, throwing herself into his arms, Luke is taken aback, but hugs his daughter tightly, she sobs against his chest, clinging desperately to his shirt "shh it's okay baby girl" he murmurs, rubbing her back "I love you so much daddy" she hiccups "I love you too Aliana" he responds "but...I really have to go now" he adds, she nods, looking down, her shoulders shaking as Luke climbs into the car and drives off.
Ashton: "I don't want a little sister!" Your five year old son protests, kicking his father's shins angrily, Ashton sighs and holds his son at arms length "I know it isn't the ideal time Ike, but there's nothing we can do about it okay? And anyways, you should be happy, you get to be a big brother now" he says gently, crouching in front of Ike "no! Don't wanna! I don't want a sissy little sister! I want a brother!" Ike protests "maybe next time buddy, but you're having a sister and you just need to deal with it, you'll love her once she's here" Ashton assures him "no I won't! You and mommy will forget about me!" Ike yells, stamping his little feet "no we won't, yes we'll have less time for you but we still love you Ike, you're our firstborn, and our only son, and we love you" Ashton says firmly, his son huffs, pouting up at his dad "you promise?" He asks "promise" Ashton smiles, scooping Ike into his arms and ruffling his hair.
Michael: "Look Michael, you can't just stroll in and out of our lives as often as you like! Where have you been these last six years huh? You weren't even there when Madison was born! But then again you weren't there when Christine was born, or Oliver or Imogene or Gerry or me, you literally just come, fuck our mother and get her pregnant and then disappear for years, and frankly I'm tired of it, you have had six kids with my mum, and god knows how many more you have with other women!" Your eighteen year old son Tommy yells "hey I'm your father, you will not talk to me like that!" Michael growls, he stands just a little taller than his son, yet his voice is loud and booming "I'm not scared of you anymore Michael, I'm no longer twelve years old" Tommy snaps, he crosses his arms and fixes Michael with a hard glare "yeah I can see that, you've grown into a man now...you look a lot like I did when I was your age, spitting image of me really, everyone says it" Michael murmurs, a small smile forming on his lips "Oliver looks like me too, nine now isn't he? Yeah, and Imogene, and Gerry, they are how old now? You were born in 2017, Gerry was the year after that, so he'll be seventeen, Imogene was 2020, so she should be fifteen, Oliver's nine so he'll have been in 2026, and Christine was 2027, she's eight, and then of course Madison, only six so she was in '29, heh, funny how she's the only one who looks like your mother" Michael rambles, smiling to himself "this act isn't going to make me sympathise with you, I know you don't give two shits about us" Tommy spits "ah but I do, why do you think I pay for you lot? What are you looking so surprised for? What, did you really think that your mother could afford to live in as nice a place as she does with you lot tagging along and adding to the cost of food, clothes, school...do you know how much money I spend on Madison alone? It's twelve hundred thousand dollars a year to send her to school, yeah, twelve hundred thousand dollars for fucking circle time, and Christine? Her leukaemia treatment cost over three million dollars collectively, and nearly killed me with worry. Oliver? That kid grows out of clothes faster than any of you ever did, he's nine years old and he's nearly my height, and still growing! Imogene? That girl spends so much time on the phone that she racks up a phone bill worth more than most people's rent! And Gerry? That kid goes to so many sports camps I can't even count, and each one is thousands of dollars, and you my friend, you are going to college next semester, you know how much college is? Hmm? We're talking millions. And this is just you kids. I pay the rent too, and the bills, electricity, water, cable. And I buy your mom things too, those diamond earrings are from me, three hundred and sixty five thousand dollars those cost me, why did I buy them? I love her. I love all of you, you're my family, and I may not be a great father, but I get the job done" Tommy stares at his father, his breathing shallow and shakes his head "you make me sick, and I never want to be like you" he spits, stalking away, Michael stands there alone, kicking the dust with his scuffed boot and feeling terrible.
