Chapter Three:Grilling Out
    I flipped the burgers over on the grill and axel pulls up in his car with riku and xigbar in the front seat and I smile and I wolf whistle at xigbar he was in his uniform and I say "welcome home soldier".

I turn the grill on low and I run to xigbar and hug him he was one of axel's old friends and he always acted like an older brother to me he dies laughing as he picks me up off the ground and I hear braelyn say "mommy who is that?" xigbar lets me go and he says "mommy?".

I laugh and say "come here baby" she runs to me I pick her up and say "braelyn this is a old friend of mine braelyn meet your uncle xigbar" she smiles and hugs him and xigbar says "well hello there little lady" she giggles and I see he has lost his eye and axel was leaning on the hood of his car and he says "so I'm aiming to make you cry".

Axel hits the hood of his car and then I hear the other car door open wait who else is here? I turn and look to see hayner walking towards me in his army uniform I start crying and I turn and look at axel and I say "you asshole you know I hate crying" .

Axel laughs I run to hayner and hug him this guy was my best friend all through elementary and high school we did everything together and he rubs the back of my head and he says "its fine bubba" which that made me cry even more he is the only person who ever called me that and I turn and look at axel and see he had braelyn in his arms alongside declan and braelyn says "hi hayner".

Hayner laughs and says "nice to see you and not on a computer screen" I laugh and braelyn runs and hugs him and she grabs his cheeks and says "just making sure its real" I laugh and I go and start on the grill again after dad let me take over and cloud he hugs me and I say "mom".

He pinches my butt and I squeal and declan and braelyn was playing on the swingset and xigbar stands next to me and he says "so who's the lucky guy?" I roll my eyes and giggle "noone we got divorced" he touches my shoulder and he says "I'm sorry who was it?".

I smile and say "your gonna laugh when I tell you" xigbar touches my arm and he says "I will not" ok well here it goes "I married marluxia" he stays quiet for a minute and then he bursts into laughter and I say "see you laughed" he finally stops and says "your serious? you married that pink haired fuzz ball?".

I giggle same reaction as axel and then my phone vibrates and its marluxia again and xigbar says "is that him?" I nodd and he says "what happened?" I gasp and I shake my head "I don't wanna talk about it ok?" xigbar grabs my shoulder and he says "is braelyn his?".

I don't meet his gaze and continue to flip over the hamburger patties and he says "she's not is she?" I exhale and shake my head "well then wh" his question was cut off midsentence and he was looking at axel and he whispers "does she belong to axel?" I gasp and he says "she does?".

I meet his gaze and whisper "yes but you can't tell him not yet" his mouth drops and he says "why didn't you tell him?" I look around to make sure noone was hearing us I see sora and riku talking figures they always had a thing but never asked each other out.

I see my dad and leon walk inside the house axel and hayner playing with the kids and I whisper "his career was just taking off if I had told him he would drop everything to be with me and the baby and besides if I hadn't had done that declan wouldn't had been here".

Xigbar nodds understanding my point I mean I believe in things like that if me and him had gotten together he wouldn't have had declan and that was worth it and he asks "when are you gonna tell him?".

I look over at the kids and see axel pushing braelyn on the swing and hayner pushing declan "soon he's still in mourning and he doesn't need other things to worry about i'll tell him when he's ready" xigbar smiles at me and he rubs my hair and he says "well you need to tell him he deserves to know".

I understand why he needs to know I look to see axel spinning braelyn by her arms and hayner he was chasing declan I smile he already loves her he lifts her up and he starts tickling her I giggle xigbar follows my gaze and he says "see he already loves her".

I nodd understanding that he has a right to know we go to the backyard and set up the table and sora says "hey rox what do you want to drink?" I sit braelyn down on her booster seat and I say "its okay sor I got it I gotta get braelyns drink anyway" axel emerges from the sliding door and he says "its fine I already got it".

I smile and braelyn says "thanks mr axel" he kisses her cheek and says "just call me axel alright" she smiles and nodds and he rubs her hair and I walk inside and see declan trying to reach his cup and I grab the olaf cup and ask "what do you want to eat buddy?".

He smiles and he says "a hamburger and fries and a wienie" I smile and grab his cup and go and fix his plate and I sit him next to me and his cup and axel see's he already has food and I say "I already fixed his plate come sit down".

Axel sits next to declan and axel says "declan what do you say?" he turns to me and he hugs me and says "thank you roxy" I smile to him and I rub his hair and my dad notices this and he gives me the look and I give him the look back and hayner smiles over at me and I roll my eyes and I start eating my food but braelyn she gets in my lap and I say "can I help you?".

She smiles up at me and she eats my wiener off my plate and I say "if you wanted two I would had gave you one" she giggles and my dad asks "so riku hows the married life been treatin ya?" I look at sora he went white as a piece of cotton and riku smiles at my dad and he says "its been good" and I stop eating my food and I ask "who's the lucky girl?".

Riku meets my gaze and says "xion xigbar's little sister" I look to sora he was eating his food not saying a word and I look to axel he meets my gaze and axel doesn't say anything I just turn to xigbar and to liven the mood I make a joke "so tell what its like to have riku as a brother in law xigbar is it long stemmed roses?".

Everyone starts laughing and xigbar says "its fine I still see him as one of my band mates or friends so we were friends before he married my sister" I giggle and after dinner when I was putting the plates in the sink axel walks up behind me and he asks "need any help?".

I turn around and I say "you rinse I dry?" he nodds with a smile and I say "why didn't you tell me riku was married?" he doesn't meet my gaze while he rinses off one of the plates and hands it to me while I dry it.

"I knew you would tell sora" I roll my eyes and I say "and the way he found out was better?" axel meets my gaze and hands me another plate "look people have there secrets we know now thats all that matters" people have our secrets huh? well I have one big secret braelyn is your daughter I guess I can't judge "well for sora riku was the one that got away".

Axel looks over at me "well not really" I look at him like what is he talking about I put one plate in the cabinet and he says "riku is starting to think she's cheating she hovers over her phone long hours at the clinic which is why i'm glad my little sister works there part time he thinks she's sleeping with one of the docters there".

I gasp and hold my head low "then why did he marry her?" axel passes me a plate and he says "he fell in love with her thats why and once upon a time roxas she loved him too" why was I catching an attitude from him? and then I say "axe I have to tell you something".

This was it I gotta tell him but before it came out of my mouth sora walks in and says "hey rox can I talk to you for a minute?" I look up at him and he says "tell me later go ahead I can finish" I exhale and I walk out with sora and we was talking in the hallway and he says "married?".

I rub his shoulder and I say "I know" he had tears swelling up in his eyes and I touch his cheek and he says "I should had told him" I wipe the tears from his eyes and say "thats how I feel about axel he was the one that got away" we sit on the stairs and he says "when did our love life get this complicated?".

I laugh and I put my hand under my chin and I say "well you don't have a child with riku I do have one from the only guy I've ever loved" sora giggles and he wraps a arm around my shoulders and he says "I guess your love life is pretty complicated well mine is I'm in love with a married man" I laugh and I say "I think mines more complicated".

He laughs and I say "how am I gonna tell him sor everytime I try to tell him I get interupted by someone the first time I was on the clock tower I couldn't do it then the second time was in my room and I got interupted by braelyn then you" sora meets my gaze and he says "I'm sorry I didn't mean to interupt you" I smile over at him and wave it off and after that everyone went home.

~Three Months Later~
I watch as I see braelyn outside swinging I was cooking dinner and then it started storming outside and then she runs inside and I dry her off and I shut the door but a few minutes passes by and then I hear a knock at the door.

I tell braelyn to stay in her room I open the door to see a soaking wet declan I gasp and say "declan whats wrong?" he looks up at me and his teeth clattering together and then I pick him up and carry him upstairs and braelyn says "is he ok moma?".

I nodd and I say "hand me a towel brae" she grabs a towel and I dry him off and I say "buddy your clothes are soaked I'm gonna have to dry them in the dryer okay?" he nodds and I tell brae to go downstairs and watch tv she nodds as I carry him to the laundry room and I sit him on the washer and wrap a towel around him and I say "declan are you ok?".

He doesn't meet my gaze and I say "look at me" he doesn't meet my gaze and I say "look at me son" he finally meets my gaze and I tell him "you can tell me anything" he had tears streaming down his cheeks I remove his clothes and I stick them in the dryer and he was wrapped in a towel and he says "dad has a girlfriend" I got a tinge of jealousy and I say "whats wrong with that?".

He gives me a look I knew all to well his father has used it on me millions of times and he says "he's suppose to be with you he is braelyn's daddy after all" my mouth drops and I ask "how do you know that?".

He holds his head low and he says "I heard you talking to sora that day we grilled out" I smile at him and I say "please tell me you haven't told your father" he smiles and he grabs my hand and he shakes his head "it's your place to tell daddy not me" I smile and he says "and thats why you gotta get together because I hate his girlfriend she's mean".

I smile and giggle and he says "its not funny she called me a brat and she's different when she's around dad but as soon as he leaves us alone she turns into the wicked witch of the west" I rub his hair and he says "and she wants me to call her mommy when she isn't my mommy your my mommy you have showed more love towards me and I ain't even your child".

I smile at that line that was sweet to know he thinks of me as his mom and I say "buddy what me and your father had has sailed long ago the spark that burned so brightly between us is gone and I'm glad you think of me as your mom but there's only been one mom for you and we know who that is I will never replace him I love you like a son do you hear me?".

He nodds and I say "and after I get through with your clothes I'm taking you back home" he pouts and I say "and don't you worry whenever you wanna come see me just pick up your daddies phone and call me and I'll come and get you my baby boy" he breakes out in a smile and then after dinner I take him back home.

I knock on the door but a blonde woman with long stem antenae answers and she says "oh my gosh axe its declan" I hear axel come running and he hugs him and he gets down at eye level and he says "oh my god boy you know better than to do that your in big trouble" axel meets my eyes and he says "come on in guys".

We walk inside and braelyn sits next to declan in the living room and I say "braelyn why don't you and declan go and play I gotta talk to axel and?" she holds out her hand and she says "larxene" they go to declans room and I say "he was upset" axel looks at larxene and says "uh babe can you give us a moment?".

She smiles and he kisses her cheek and I don't look and when she goes into the kitchen and I say "declan said that she called him a brat and was mean to him" axel rubs the back of his neck and he says "he exaggerates sometimes roxy its fine he is just having a rough time with me having a girlfriend".

He looked dead serious why would he make something up like that and I say "ok well if she hurts him axel" I stand up and he says "well he's my child not yours" I look at him like he was crazy did he seriously go there? and I say "I know that axel I love that kid like he's my own you see it thrilled me to death to know that he came to me because he trusts me and when I was drying him off from the rain he said he seen me more as a mom than that woman ever will and you know what I said you only have one mom and thats demyx he was your mom and I'll never replace him and maybe if you hadn't been so far up larxene's ass maybe you would had noticed he ran away" axel crossed his arms and he says "well at least I didn't keep braelyn away from her dad".

I gasp and he says "there its out when were you gonna tell me? does braelyn even know? I mean look at her she's spitting image of me" I had tears strolling down my cheeks and I said "she knows that marluxia wasn't her dad I haven't told her yet" he crossed his arms and he had tears strolling down his cheeks and he says "I want visitation rights".

I look up at him and say "ok? you aren't gonna try and get full custody?" braelyn walks out and she says "mommy?" I wipe away the tears and put on a happy smile and say "hey baby you ready to go?" she walks out of the room and she says "are you alright?" I start crying and I nodd and say "yeah baby I'm fine".

She walks over to me and hugs me and before I say anything to her she says "daddy?" axel turns around and looks at her and he starts crying and he says "how long have you known?" she walks over to him and says "a while I found out when I looked in mommies drawing black book and I knew you were my daddy".

He smiles and he rubs her hair and declan walks over to me and I say "come on brae we need to head home" she looks at axel and hugs him and she says "bye daddy" he smiles and kisses her forehead "bye sweety".

Declan looks at me and he whispers "bye mommy" I wink at him and I say "uh not this coming weekend but next weekend I'll bring her by here on friday and I'll pick her up sunday morning?" he nodds and he says "ok around noon? and the reason I'm not gonna take her from you is because you raised her and your all she's ever known and I'm not that kind of asshole to do that I want too but she needs both parents in her life".

I nodd as I grab brae and declan walks over to axel and I say "tell larxene it was nice meeting her" he nodds as I walk out with braelyn as I hop in my blue toyota camry and we head home and braelyn see's my face and she says "mommy do you still love daddy?".

I exhale and say "I told myself I would never lie to you but yeah mommy still loves daddy" she smiles and says "then tell him mommy" I sigh I wish it was that simple and I say "he's with somebody else baby he deserves happiness even if thats not with me" we pull up in the yard and when I put braelyn down for a nap I call sora and tell him to come over and he comes inside and I sit on the couch and he says "so declan called you mom?" I nodd and I say "and aparentley axel knew about braelyn and she did too" sora's mouth drops and he says "so what are you guys together?" I shake my head and I say "he's with some girl name larxene and she lays a hand on my kids I'll bury her into the ground" sora laughs and I ask "so how are you?" he sighs and he says "me and riku are having an affair".