Kriss opened her eyes; she rolled over and saw Dave and Chloë. Chloë was sitting on Dave's lap facing him and Dave was singing to her.
"Twinkle, twinkle little star" this was Chloë's favourite, and Dave carried on "how I wonder what you are" Dave looked up from Chloë's smiling face to Kriss' smiling face. It was like looking at the same person, only Kristine was 28 years older than Chloë.
"Morning baby" Kriss said to Dave "Morning precious" Kriss said to Chloë. Chloë smiled and giggled at her mum.
Chloë was six months old now; Kriss was enjoying her so much more. She was a very happy baby and Kriss loved every giggle, every smile, every moment with her daughter.
They had finished their sentences in the Brig and been set free. Kriss, Dave, Cat, Kryten and Arnold had stolen a Starbug and whooshed into space. Now it was just the six of them in Starbug.
This was the perfect arrangement for Kriss and Arnold, it meant that Arnold could see Chloë and have time with her, but also Kriss could be with her daughter whenever she wanted. At the moment Kriss was happiest when she had Chloë in her arms.
"She's so much better now," Kriss, told Dave "every time she smiles I know how much I love her"
"What do you mean 'she's so much better now?'" Dave asked
"I'm getting so much more out of her now" Kriss told him "I mean, I loved the baby stage, but when she smiles at me it's so rewarding."
Dave agreed
"Isn't she spending today with Rimmer?" he asked her "you better get her ready"
"She needs a feed first" Kriss told him. By this time Dave was used to his girlfriend get her breast out and letting her baby suck on it for ten minutes before putting it away and getting the other one out for exactly the same purpose. To begin with he was like, constant wood, but now it was just part of the day. After the feed Dave got Chloë dressed while Kriss showered and made herself look beautiful.
Kriss picked up Chloë and balanced her on her hip. Dave picked up the nappy bag and all three of them made their way down to the kitchen. Kryten was waiting with their breakfast ready for them, six rasher s of bacon for Dave, with Vindaloo sauce poured on the top and four for Kriss, just as it comes.
Arnold came in and took Chloë from Kriss.
"Morning my darling" Arnold said to Chloë "Daddy's missed you" he gave her a kiss.
"Morning Arnold" Kriss sounded so spiteful
"Morning Kriss" Arnold replied in the same horrible way "What time's her next feed?"
Kriss looked at her watch "One o'clock" she told him
"Okay I'll have her back for lunch" he promised. With this he went to leave
"Wait!" Kriss shouted, "Let me say goodbye first"
"Sorry" he apologised
"Bye Chloë" Kriss gave her a kiss "mummy loves you very much" Chloë giggled and Arnold left with her. Dave saw Kriss shed a tear; she always did this when Arnold took Chloë. Dave hated seeing her like this but what could he do? Arnold was always going to be there, he was always going to be Chloë's natural father.
Once Chloë had been gone half an hour Kriss calmed down.
"Dave" she asked, "fancy some sex?"
"I'm not going to say no" Dave replied. They jumped up and ran to their quarters. After sex Dave asked a question.
"When can we have a baby?"
Kriss was shocked "not just yet" she told him "I'll tell you when I'm ready"
"Okay" Dave told her "I'm ready when you are" this made Kriss smile. Her breasts felt full, it was feed time, and Chloë would be back soon.
Arnold didn't bring Chloë back at one o'clock like he'd agreed. Arnold still wasn't back at 1.30. Kriss was screaming, her breasts were full and painful and Chloë, in her eyes, was gone forever.
"Please go find her," she pleaded with Dave "I need my baby, I need her here!" Kriss was getting hysterical "she'll be hungry, she'll be crying"
At that very minute Arnold came into the room and handed Chloë over to Kriss.
"I'm so sorry" he said, "I lost track of the time"
Kriss put Chloë to her breast and watched her feed. The whole room was silent for ten minutes.
"Dave, can you wind her please?" she finally asked
"I'll do…" Arnold started
"No" she shouted at Arnold, she turned to Dave "can you go wind her in our quarters?" she asked him "I need a word with Arnold. Dave did as he was told, they were alone.
"Kriss I…" Arnold tried to tell her
"Don't try and wiggle your way out of this," she told him "what did you think you were doing?"
"I lost track of time" he told her, he was of course lying.
"Really?" Kriss asked him "we'll you obviously had the wrong baby because you could set your watch by our daughter and her feed times" she was getting really angry "but, hold on, Chloë's the only baby on this ship, so you're LYING TO ME!" she screamed.
"Alright, alright" he confessed, "I didn't want to bring her back, I wanted to have her all day to myself."
"You selfish bastard" Kriss yelled "and what were you planning on feeding her? She's only drinking breast milk. Were you just praying she'd forget about her stomach because she was having so much fun with her daddy?"
"I didn't think…"
"No Arnold that's the problem, you don't think" she was so angry "you don't think about anyone but yourself. I could forgive you for putting my full breasts through all that pain, I can even forgive you for getting me into that state, sick with worry, but I can't forgive you for depriving our daughter from her food" she went to leave the room "and don't think you're having her for the afternoon" she yelled at him and slammed the door behind her.
Kriss went straight up to Dave and took Chloë from him. She put Chloë to her other breast, which was now so full and painful that it was leaking.
"What did he say?" Dave asked her
"He lied to me" she said, "he told me that he had lost track of time"
"But Chloë wouldn't let him do that" he told her "she'd scream at him"
"That's what I told him" Kriss agreed, "That's when I knew he was lying"
"What did he say after that?" Dave asked
"He told me that he wanted to keep Chloë to himself for the whole day, selfish bastard"
"But…" Dave started "what about her feeds?"
"Exactly" Kriss answered, "He thought she'd forget"
"She's six months old" Dave exclaimed "all she thinks about is food, sleep and mummy" Kriss smiled at him, by this time Chloë had finished feeding
"Can you burp her for me?" Kriss asked
"Sure" Dave answered, "what are you going to do about Rimmer?"
"To be honest" she said "the way I'm feeling at the moment, I don't want him to have anything to do with her" Kriss started to cry "you do more for her than he does! Can I have her?" Dave handed Chloë to Kriss. She hugged her so tight "I love you, Chloë" she said "I wont let daddy hurt you anymore" Kriss kissed Chloë's forehead and gave her back to Dave "you go to uncle Dave, my lovely"
Kriss curled up on her bed and wept. Dave didn't really know what to do. Chloë looked very sleepy so he decided to put her down. She didn't make a sound. She fell straight to sleep.
"Come give me a hug" Dave told Kriss. She fell straight into his arms.
"I was just so worried" Kriss wailed, "She could have been anywhere"
"Come on darling!" Dave comforted her "she's here, she's safe, she's yours"
"I don't want Rimmer anywhere near Chloë on his own, he can see her like Cat and Kryten do but that's it, nothing else, to me, you're her father"