The Affair of the Century

Chapter 10: Sleepless in a Penthouse

"I don't know what to say," Skye said.

"I know that this may seem quite sudden, but I have thought about it since the night you left," Stefan replied.

"You have?" Skye said touched and a bit shocked.

"I have and whatever you decision may be I will still love you."

"I don't know if I can marry you Stefan."

"Why?"

"You have you go back to Port Charles eventually."

"And so do you."

"My life is here now and yours is in Port Charles."

"No it isn't."

"It isn't?"

"It is with you, where ever you chose to be."

"Do you really mean that, not just because of Caitlin?"

"Of course I do. Skye when you left, I felt like a piece of myself went with you. I was unhappy almost all the time. But then when I finally found you, I became whole again. I love you Skye and where you live will never change that. I would go to Timbuktu if that's where you went.

"Stefan I....I love you too. Can I change my answer?"

"Of course."

"Yes Stefan Cassadine, I'll marry you."

Stefan allowed himself a smile before taking the ring out of its box and placing it on Skye's finger. Then he rose and Skye stood up from the couch and they kissed passionately. Slowly they sunk back on to the couch never separating for a moment. The house could have burned down around them and they wouldn't have cared.

Skye and Stefan's bedroom
The next morning

Skye opened her eyes slowly and blinked suddenly aware of Stefan's arms around her.

"Good morning my love," Stefan whispered in her ear.

"Morning," Skye replied

"Did you have a pleasant sleep?"

"With you here? Of course I did."

"Do you have any special requests for breakfast?"

"You can cook?"

"On the contrary I have a cook that is a mere phone call away."

"I have a better idea, how about you and I take a shower, dress, and go pick up Caitlin? Then we can all go to breakfast together."

"As you wish."

45 minutes later….
Rae and Alan's hotel suite

"How was Skye yesterday?' Alan asked as he stood to get his omelette off of the cart.

"She was fine, but both Skye and Stefan have issues to resolve in this relationship. But if last night went well, they're off to a pretty good start."

"Did she say anything about living arrangements?"

"No, not exactly, but I think she might go back to Port Charles."

"Oh boy."

"What?"

"When my father finds out, he'll jump at the chance to have Skye move in."

"Alan, you know Skye better than that. If anything she'll live with Stefan."

Alan opened his mouth to reply only to be interrupted by the door. He simply sighed and went to answer the door. When he opened it, Skye and Stefan were standing there.

"Hi sweetheart," Alan said hugging his daughter

"Hi Dad," Skye replied.

"Stefan."'

"Good morning Alan," said Stefan shaking his hand.

"Good morning Sweetheart," said Rae as Stefan and Skye came in.

"Hi Mom."

"Did you two have a nice evening?"

"It was wonderful and we worked out a lot of…little details," said Skye sitting on the sofa. "Thank you for taking Caitlin."

"It was our pleasure, she was an absolute angel."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Where is she?"

"She's sleeping in your mother's room."

"I'll get her Skye."

"Ok."

Stefan left the room and went down the hallway and turned into Rae's bedroom. On the right side of the bed was the travel bassinet that they had brought for Caitlin. Inside laid Caitlin, sleeping contently sucking on her pacifier. Her carrier was sitting in the corner of the room along with her bag. Stefan carefully picked up the sleeping infant and transferred her into the carrier, making sure she was securely strapped in. After doing this, he put any stray items of Caitlin's in the bag and then transported everything out to the living room.

"Stefan," said Alan rising as Stefan put everything down. "Skye just told us the good news, congratulations."

"Thank you," said Stefan, shaking hands with his soon to be father-in law.

"Where is my baby?"

"Sleeping, quite contently I might add."

Skye crossed over to the side of the sofa where her daughter had been carefully placed. Caitlin was already starting to stir and about to make her presence known, when Skye unbuckled the straps of the carrier and picked the baby up. Once she was safe in her mother's arms, Caitlin opened her big blue eyes, and looked at Skye (as best she could being only a few days old) as if to say "hi mommy." Skye smiled softly at the child as she crossed back to the sofa to sit down.

"Hello princess," Skye cooed. "Were you good for Grandma and Grandpa?"

The child's only response was to snuggle into her mother.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"So when are you thinking of moving back to Port Charles?" Rae asked.

"In a month or so, I need to tie up all the loose ends here before I leave. I was thinking of stopping in Pine Valley to let Myrtle and everyone see the baby."

"I think that's a wonderful idea"

"It'll give me plenty of time to prepare the family," said Alan.

"Speaking of the Quartermaines, I had a few concerns."

"Don't worry about your Grandfather, Skye. Your mother, Grandmother and I will make sure he doesn't try to get Caitlin into the house."

"I'm glad to hear that, but that's not what I'm worried about."

"Then what is it Skye?"

" I know that Monica and I haven't had the best relationship in the world. But I was hoping that Caitlin could help us make amends. I know that she'll have a lot of people who'll love her, but I don't want her to have to experience anything negative, the family is enough to deal with as it is."

"I agree with you Skye and I'll talk to her. I can't guarantee anything, but I'll give it my best effort."

"Thank you."

Skye and Stefan's bedroom
Midnight

Caitlin crashed at about 9:00; Stefan and Skye followed her example turning in at 10. Skye and Stefan were sleeping peacefully together when Caitlin started crying. Stefan awoke first and got up to get the child before Skye woke up. Rising out of bed, clad only in black silk pajama bottoms Stefan walked over to the bassinet and picked up the crying newborn.

"Hush my darling. I've got you," he said as he exited the room and walked down to the nursery. He set Caitlin down softly on the changing table and proceeded to change her diaper. But it was dry and Caitlin still continued to cry, so Stefan proceeded to walk around the house to with the crying child.

2:30 AM 

Skye finally rose out of bed, after being told by Stefan that he "had everything under control." She followed her daughter's increasingly loud cries to the living room.

"Stefan, give her to me, maybe she's hungry."

"I have already tried giving her a bottle. She refused to take it."

"Let me see if I can feed her, it's worth a try."

Skye sat down on the sofa and undid her robe, her nightshirt, and bra. Stefan handed Caitlin to her and Skye offered Caitlin her breast, but Caitlin turned away from it and continued to cry.

"She won't take it."

"Is she warm?"

"No," said Skye feeling her forehead.

4:30AM

Caitlin still continued to cry; nothing her parents did seemed to calm her. Stefan did the only other thing he could thing of, dance with her.

7:30AM

Caitlin finally fell asleep listening to the rhythm on her mother's breathing at 6:30, leaving her parents completely exhausted. She now lay on her mother's bare stomach, clad only in a diaper. Stefan covered her with a blanket and they all fell asleep at 7:00am. Now they all lay sleeping peacefully on the bed, Skye's hands resting protectively on her sleeping daughter.

Next on Affair of The Century:

* Time is moved up 4 weeks

* Skye, Stefan, and Caitlin return to Port Charles.

* The Quartermaines meet the newest edition.

* Nikolas, Gia, and Alexis meet Stefan's little secret.

* Skye and Monica reach a truce.