Hey, guys. I'd appreciate if you'd give this chapter and that last chapter I failed to dish out on time a little more love, okay? I know the execution was late, but just give her some lovin', please?
What happened to the Cat? Well, here you go, folks. More screen-time with Cat and Beck through the eyes of Mommy Jade!
With the way things were going, I'm sure Tori would crack soon. I just had to wait.
Making my way downstairs, it was time to check in on Cat. There was no way we could leave her by herself too long for any reason whatsoever. My eyes flickered to Beck sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine and nibbling on a piece of toast. He didn't seem to notice me, but it didn't matter. We were over. Our loss.
I strolled past the kitchen and into the living room without so much as a glance from Beck. The playpen I took Cat to was just beyond a door hidden in his aunt's coat closet. That woman really knows how to make a house interesting, I had to admit.
Contrary to what you might think, I didn't convert the unused space into a torture chamber for my 'super-secret BDSM fetish' crap with Beck or Cat when she was naughty. Sure, I initially wanted to, but I already had something like it in the form of Tori Vega, so there was no need to make another. I'm actually not as involved in that culture as much as I've led on. Instead, this place was made to be for time-outs and other forms of very MILD penalties sticky little children would find terrifying like watching Cupcakes or Rainbow Factory or even two people swallowing each other's faces.
Our little hideaway of sorts was what you would expect with the barest of necessities. The room, which was pretty spacious, had no windows and walls of which were white, bland; there was always the smell of freshener lingering in the air that we took instantly notice of ever since we discovered this place just a few months ago. There was a medium-sized rectangular playpen in one corner with a pillow and blanket, a huge brown armchair on one side of it, no toys or books and a changing table capable of holding three times Beck's weight nearest the armchair I don't think I've ever used.
I walked in on Cat giggling through her pacifier. Somehow, she had gotten out of the playpen. Now she was rolling around on the carpeted floor and clearly enjoying herself. Compared to her, Tori got the shorter end of the stick. Oh, the irony. When she saw me, Cat flipped on to her back, took the red chewy toy out of her mouth and held an arm out like she wanted me to pick her up.
"Mama!" she giggled, "Hi, mama!"
I rolled my eyes towards the ceiling but couldn't resist sliding in a little smile, "You know you're still in time-out, right?"
"Mm-hm..." she nodded.
"Then why are you out of your little box?" I smirked, going and taking a seat in the brown fireside chair, "Did Mommy or Daddy say you can?"
"Daddy said!" she pouted, crawling over to me and putting her hands on my knees, "Daddy tooked me out!"
Honestly, Oliver... "And why did Daddy do that?" I asked with a plastered smile.
Cat shrugged. Even if she knew, she probably wouldn't tell me. Or she made herself forget. See, Cat's baby age ranged from twelve months to four years, and towards the end typically children have their first memories set. Since she isn't really that young... well, some enforced method acting is required for her.
"Uppy!" she demanded, pointing at me, "Me wan' go up!"
A little idea came into mind. "No."
"Yes!" wailed Cat, pushing my legs, "Pwease, Mommy? Cat want cuddle..."
"Mommy said no, Cat!" I frowned, shifting my stare towards the never-used changing table. Annoyed, or at least a little hurt, Cat started to tug at my hands and skirt. She even got on her back and lightly kicked me a few times in the legs to try and get my attention, much to my amusement. It took another annoying high-pitch whine from her before she finally accepted I was ignoring her and started to cry again for what probably marks the fifth time today. Trust me, some days, she's so much worse.
But it's fine. I got what I wanted so this was her reward. I took her pacifier from her and patted my lap with my free hand. Cat hurriedly climbed up and made herself comfortable, sniffling. When she rested her head on my shoulder, I placed the binky back in her mouth and gently wiped away the tears with my thumb and a soft smile. All I got was unintelligible sounds, but I knew they were happy ones. Don't tell anyone, but that got a bigger smile out of me, knowing she was content being held by me in such a manner.
Cat never took those big brown doe eyes away from my blue ones the entire time, blissfully sucking away on her red soother and staring at me. The sniffles stopped. She reached a hand up and stroked my cheek, smiling. Slowly, I moved in to plant a kiss on her forehead. She giggled at that, being Cat.
Suddenly, she freed her mouth from its occupant, "Where Torwi?"
"Tori's taking an early nap because she didn't listen when Mommy told her a story," I answered nonchalantly, quickly adding, "Do you like Tori being your little sister, Cat?"
"No know," she muttered.
Of course she didn't know. Cat never knew anything. Never a sodding thing.
"Mommy, me hungwy..." she moaned, lightly tugging the front of my shirt. I sighed. What time was it? I didn't keep her in here for too long, I hoped.
"I'll get Beck to make you something. Stop pulling at my shirt."
Not even a moment later, I heard:
"Did someone say she was hungry?"
Beck came in with a baby bottle full of milk in one hand and a can of baby food and spoon in the other. I was a bit dismayed at his sudden and convenient arrival, even more so because he had foodstuffs for Cat.
"Were you eavesdropping by the door?!" I barked, pressing Cat closer to me.
At this, Beck shrugged and began to make his way over to where we were, "Maybe I was. Or maybe because it's about two-thirty in the afternoon right now and a certain little girl needs her lunch." When I scowled and looked away, he redirected his dialogue to Cat, "Do you want the milk or the baby food?"
"Milk, milk!" Cat exclaimed happily, reaching for it. I guess that would explain what she did earlier with my shirt...
"Ah-ah! What do you say, Cat?"
"P'ease an' dankyu!"
Goddamn... the cuteness proximity of this. I looked the other way as Beck came closer and placed the baby food and spoon on the floor and his hand on my shoulder.
"Jade," he said softly, "Do you want to feed–"
"Just give it to me!" I snapped, snatching the warm bottle from him and all but shoving the nipple of the bottle into Cat's mouth. Cat's eyes widened and she spit it out and turned her body away from me. Beck took the bottle back and put a hand on her back whilst giving me a half-hearted glare of his own.
"What's wrong? Was this because I let Cat out of the playpen?"
No, it's not because of the stupid punishment. It's because of this. You showing up when convenient. You knowing exactly how to make it better. You being there for everyone answering to their every beck and call, even mine sometimes.
I don't answer him, but he cares. He's that kind of person. Beck stops his lame attempt to look angry at me and takes Cat into his arms on the floor the same way I was just holding her. I want to look away from him but his eyes didn't let me. He feeds Cat her bottle and tries again to ask me what I was bugging about. Still, I refuse to answer. My reasons were pretty stupid anyway.
"I don't think we should fight in front of Cat," he said in the same soft tone I was used to and kind of missed, "Or Tori. You know she'll take it upon herself to make it bearable for us." I nodded. "Besides, getting along was part of the reason I'm involved here, isn't it?"
"It's not the only reason..." I muttered, "There's so much more."
"Right," he whispered.
After a few minutes of listening to Cat rather noisily drink the milk, Beck stood himself up and took a seat next to me in the armchair, damn well knowing the last thing I wanted to do was come into physical contact with him. But he had Cat in his arms and knew I couldn't upset her any more than I already have. So with much fucking enthusiasm, I stayed quiet, with Cat's upper-half laying on my legs and her lower-half on Beck's.
And Cat – hoo boy! – Cat! With the bottle now in her possession, all we had to do was keep her from falling off our laps. She just kept staring at us with those big brown eyes of hers like she was waiting for something. It didn't help that for the most part, our hands were free, and I'm sure Beck was waiting for a chance to use them.
He didn't have to wait long. Cat finished half the bottle and took it out of her mouth for a few seconds. We gave her a few smiles here and there, but when that bottle nipple was fully out of her mouth, Beck's grew wider as he wrapped his arm around me and gave me a peck on the cheek. I stared at him, shocked.
Why? Just please tell me why he did that.
Immediately after, Cat giggled. And that was my answer.
"Mama an' dada kissy!" she giggled.
We exchanged glances before looking back at Cat. Beck pushed the bottom of the bottle toward Cat's slightly open mouth just a bit to encourage her to keep on feeding. She took it. It was just the two of us again. Last time, when Cat and Tori were under the bed, I initiated the intimacy because I knew they were right underneath us and it was funny to see Tori's reaction. Now, when we were alone with Cat sprawled in our lap and it was he who started it, what am I to think?
"Don't think about it... just feel..." he whispered, leaning in.
But I am thinking.
I accepted his kiss... but I didn't believe it.
Not at all.
So there. Sorry if there's any mistakes, tip the nurses and clowns, yada yada yada. Be sure to include your name and file underneath Reviews and Complaints section of What-The-Fuck-Did-I-Just-Read. For many of you, good luck finding it.
Good night, loves. Enjoy the Bade, Cade and little Bat.