Disclaimer: I don't own them!
Hilde avoided Duo's gaze at the breakfast table. It was Monday morning and Brendan had to go to school. It meant that she would be left home alone with Duo. Their son had provided a buffer between them over the weekend and now he wouldn't be there for part of the day. At the moment, father and son were scarfing down their breakfasts like no tomorrow. She noticed that Brendan was without his tie. "Where's that tie young man?"
Brendan's spoon stopped halfway to his mouth. "In my room mommy," he said sheepishly.
"As soon as you're finished you go right back up there and get it," she ordered gently as she stood up from her chair and put her plate in the dishwasher.
"Your mom doesn't let you get away with much, does she?" Duo asked teasingly as he looked over at Brendan before moving to Hilde's back, where they remained.
"Never," the little boy mumbled as he slurped down his milk from his cereal bowl. He slipped off of his chair and went over to the sink. "Here's my bowl mom."
"Go get your tie now," Hilde instructed as she took the bowl and ruffled his hair affectionately.
Brendan ran from the room.
Duo's eyes went to Hilde. "So what were you planning to do with your day?"
Her eyes met his and flickered away. "I don't know. What were you doing today? Don't you have something to do?"
"No, not really," he replied as he scraped his plate clean and licked the remaining syrup from his waffles, off of the fork. "Why? Trying to get rid of me?" He gave her a mischievous smile.
"Not at all. I just thought you would want to go out on your own."
"And leave you alone? I wouldn't dream of it."
Hilde opened her mouth to say something, but Brendan came scampering back into the room with his navy and burgundy striped tie in hand.
"I can't tie it," Brendan said petulantly, giving his mother puppy dog eyes.
Hilde laughed softly. "Doesn't mean you get out of wearing it mister."
"Here I'll help him with that," Duo said as he got up from his chair. "It's a guy thing," he said to her as he knelt down in front of the boy. He took the tie from the child's hand. His tongue stuck out a little as he tied it. "There you go, all done," he said proudly as he leaned back on his heels.
"Thank you Duo," Brendan said gratefully as he touched the tie. He ran into the hall and pulled the stool in front of the mirror in the hall. "You tie better than mom," he said in awe.
"I'm a guy, I know how to tie a tie," Duo said, shrugging as he came into the hall and looked into the mirror as well. His eyes went to Brendan's eyes. He was momentarily startled to see that they almost matched his completely. "You're mom is a woman kiddo, women do not know ties," he commented as his eyes went to her.
Hilde's cornflower blue eyes connected with the cobalt ones in the mirror's reflection. They abruptly fell away from his when she saw the questioning look he was sending her as he looked back at Brendan's eyes before returning them to hers. "He knows." She cleared her voice as a horn sounded outside. "Come along Brendan, Missus Adams is picking you up today," she said as she picked up her son's small knapsack.
"All right, coming," Brendan said as he hopped off of the stool and ran over to her and took the bag from her and slipped it over his shoulders. "Bye Duo!" he yelled as he ran to the door.
Duo chuckled at the boy's obvious enthusiasm. His eyes went back to Hilde's.
"I'll walk you outside now," Hilde said as she smoothed his hair back into place and went past Duo to the front door. She opened it and stepped outside, relieved to be away from his probing gaze. "Have a nice day dear," she said as she bent down and pressed a kiss on his cheek.
"Bye," Brendan yelled again as he ran down the front steps and hopped into the Cadillac.
"I'll have him home at one Hilde," Missus Adams called as she closed the car door behind him.
"Thank you May," Hilde replied as she waved them off. She looked over her shoulder at the frosted glass of her front door. She didn't want to be alone with him, but with a deep breath, she steeled herself and went back inside the house. He was standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. She held her head up as she made her way past him to clean up the rest of breakfast.
"Hold it right there," Duo said as he reached out and grasped onto her arm. "You and I have to have a little talk."
"Not right now Duo, I have to clean up and then I have to…"
"You don't have anything to do today Hilde, I checked your date book on the kitchen counter. It's just you and me today."
She paled, but didn't ask him to release his hold on her. "You were snooping."
"I hardly call what I did snooping babe when it's sitting out on the counter," he pointed out logically as he turned her towards him. "Let me ask you this, when's Brendan's birthday?"
Hilde blanched. "December twenty third, After Colony Two Zero, Zero."
"December twenty third, huh? That's almost nine months after you married Robert."
"I know. Robert got me pregnant."
"Babe, you married Robert later then that or else Brendan's birth date is messed up."
"He was born two weeks early," Hilde said, flustered as she looked away.
"Two weeks early? That would fit if you hadn't slept with anyone else, but you slept with me not too long before," Duo pointed out slowly as his eyes tried to catch hers again. He reached out and tilted her chin up so she would look him in the face. "Am I right?"
"What are you getting at Duo?"
"What am I getting at? I think you know exactly what I'm getting at," he said softly as he looked into her eyes.
A sickening feeling washed through her. He had figured it out and he wasn't looking too happy over it. "I don't know what you're talking about," she answered faintly. His kept her eyes captivated.
"Yes you do Hilde," Duo said as he leaned away from the wall and walked her backwards until he was leaning over her. He looked down into her face and braced his other hand on the wall next to her. "What I want to know is, were you ever going to tell me?"
"Tell you what!" she countered frantically. She had not wanted him to find out before she told him, but it was too late now with the flickering anger in those cobalt eyes.
"That he's my son."
A/N: Here it is! I know this has been a long time in getting out, but I didn't forget about it! I hope you like it and you know me and cliffhangers! So stay tuned for more and this time I promise I'll update this a little sooner! XOXO!!