Chapter 2

x

Mike walked towards the parking lot on the rather deserted Norfolk base. There was still a lot of issues to be handled to get the base operational again. He saw Christine drive up with their car and was glad she had gotten the message he had send to her.

He stepped inside the car noting that it was empty, besides Christine on the drivers seat.

"Where are the girls?" Mike asked in wonder.

"Their with a friend. I wasn't sure if you were coming." He heard her cold reply.

He sighed and thought about if their marriage was going to work. From her cool greeting he figured he was in the doghouse.

They drove to a park near the house they had lived on, where Christine was still staying with their daughters.

"I thought we should talk before going to the house." Christine gave him a glance before stepping out of the car into the cold winter weather.

Mike followed her, slowly walking a step behind her like a shadow. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her entire posture was telling him to keep his distance. He wasn't sure how to talk to her, suddenly she seemed to be further away from him than before. Even though they had problems already before he was deployed to the Arctic.

"Are the girls excited to see me?"

"I didn't tell them that you're coming. I couldn't be sure if you really would show up." She explained and he wondered what was behind her behavior.

"Do you have any idea how it was like for us?" She met his gaze and he opened his mouth a little, but there were no words. He didn't have the faintest idea how they had it when he was in the Arctic.

"First it was cases in Africa and Asia. Places that felt so distant to us.."

"But when the virus had its outbreak across the entire Europe.. It somehow became more real."

"I tried to get a hold of you. Tried the Navy, even called the Pentagon, but there were no answers. All I knew that you were up in the Arctic somewhere."

"And then Lucas died.. Our boy.. I was all alone, didn't know if you where alive or dead. I was alone Mike."

Mike listened silently, devastated about what she was telling him. He hadn't lived through the hysteria the outbreak of the virus had caused, they had.

"And our daughters waited every day for you to come, but you never did. They hoped you would come and get us." She started to cry as she thought about the past.

Mike felt his heart heavy as he saw her distraught about it all. But he wasn't entirely sure if she would want him embracing her.

"So.. That's why you didn't tell them I was coming now? Because if I wouldn't show up.." Mike thought about her words.

"I'm here now."

"Are you?"

"Well, I still have things to take care of in St. Louis but.." Mike began telling but it seemed like Christine wasn't hearing him.

"You mean Andrea?" Christine gave him a look of disappointment and he wasn't sure what to reply.

"We haven't discussed about stuff just yet." Mike said unsure how to approach the matter. The James was currently under massive repairs and wouldn't be budging for a few months. Tom had been appointed as a CNO so he would be occupying St. Louis for the time being as he would be working closely with the President. Mike himself had gotten his own command as he was to be the commanding officer of the James.

"I came here to talk with you. I still want to try and fix us."

"I'm not so sure there is us to fix." Christine stated with sadness in her voice and Mike sighed. The moment he had told Christine about Andrea back when they first docked in Norfolk, he had seen that she had given up hope for their marriage. She didn't have the spark in her eyes to fight for them anymore.

"And even if we manage to solve our problems.. What are we suppose to say to the girls? How are we going to explain to them that daddy has another child with another woman?" Christine asked frustrated by the situation Mike had gotten them into.

"I don't know." Mike answered honestly and turned away from his wife a little and looked around the park, remembering how happy they had once been here. Here he had taught each one of his kids to ride a bicycle, he smiled at the faint memory of standing behind them as they proudly went on with the bicycle.

The cold air was getting to them and they drove to the house. Christine remained still and he wondered if he could manage to make things right. But he felt she would have to meet him half way.

The girls were overwhelmed to see their father again and as he got a big hug out of his two daughters, he saw the unhappy face Christine wore as she began the dinner preparations.

Mike laid down on the bed that used to be his sons. It had been a long day and he was dead tired. He wasn't surprised that Christine wanted him to sleep in Lucas's room, but he went with her wishes. He didn't want to pressure her into anything, definitely not when she didn't seem to want him near her. And could he blame her? He had broken her trust and he had to earn it back. Hopefully there was a chance for that.

He looked around in the room, it was exactly like he remembered. He turned to the side and saw the little brown haired boy lying beside him, looking at him.

"What's wrong daddy?" Lucas asked with a voice filled with worry.

"You're not here. I miss you buddy." Mike answered feeling his heart ache at the thought of his son.

"Don't cry, I'll always be here." Lucas reached to place his hand on his chest, right above his heart.

Mike moved to place his hand on top of his sons only to realize that his mind had played a cruel trick on him. There was no little hand on his chest. His boy was gone. Tears came down on his cheeks as he thought about his boy, thought about his marriage with Christine, thought about his two girls, thought about the baby Andrea was carrying. His baby.

His thoughts wandered between his family and Andrea. How on earth would they juggle through this thing?

Thank you for the reviews! :)