These moments were the best, Christine decided, the moments when she was able to snatch some time alone. Living on top of each other as they had been for so long, the few instances anyone managed to get to themselves were to be savoured. Erik somehow always wangled more of these, citing work as a reason to hole up in studio or study with his piano and leaving her to deal with the children and any accompanying crises, but today she'd trumped him by sneaking off before he could do his usual disappearing act. When she crept up the stairs she heard Gigi demanding a story and Allegra loudly complaining that the wifi had dropped out again and felt absolutely no guilt whatsoever.

It was with great satisfaction that she now lay back in the bath, luxuriating in the hot water and a few drops of the Moulton Brown essence Meg had given her for Christmas. She had a couple of battery candles and some soothing music and now she was going to stay here in blissful solitude while the mask she'd slathered over her freshly washed hair performed its magic. Wiggling her toes she sank a bit deeper into the tub and closed her eyes, just enjoying the sensation.

Unfortunately, it lasted for all of five minutes before the bathroom door handle turned. Christine swore inwardly, wishing she'd thought to lock it even though they had always taught the girls never to turn the locks in case they got stuck inside; now would be a very worthy exception to the rule. She scrabbled for the towel to try and cover the parts of her that weren't shielded by bubbles, never having been one of those mothers content to parade naked before her offspring, but thankfully it was Erik who entered. He looked harassed for a moment before his good eyebrow arched at the sight of the little sanctuary she had created.

"You know, I always thought candles and music in the bath was just a television cliché," he remarked. "Obviously I was wrong. No wonder you were so keen to sneak away."

Christine just gave him her patented wifely stare. "I thought it was about time you took over squabble duty," she said. "You've become very good at vanishing just at the right moment."

"Years of practise; I wasn't called a ghost for nothing."

"Don't I know it! What do you want?" she asked when he went to the medicine cabinet, rummaging around inside.

"There was a minor altercation; Gigi bumped her knee on the coffee table. I kissed it better but apparently that is no longer sufficient treatment and she is insisting on a plaster." Erik turned, a box between his long fingers, and regarded her with interest, mismatched eyes alight. As always, she felt goosebumps rising the longer his gaze remained upon her; it was doing other things to her as well and she slid a little further under the water, the shiver that suddenly ran through her nothing to do with the blast of cooler air he'd let into the room. He sat down on the edge of the bath, idly trailing his free hand through the scented foam. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, kind sir. You don't look so bad yourself. That colour suits you."

He glanced down at his burgundy v-neck. "It's the sweater you chose."

"It is? You mean you're actually voluntarily wearing something I bought?" Christine blinked in surprise. "Wonders will never cease."

"I told you before, I will always accede to your taste, my dear, as long as you refrain from trying to make me into a twenty-five year old," he told her, his nimble fingers finding her calf. They slid towards her toes and she squirmed as he leant towards her and added, voice dropping suggestively, "Of course, I could take it off and get in there with you."

She flicked water towards his face. "Ordinarily, I would be delighted to take you up on that offer, but our daughter is waiting for some first aid, remember? Besides, we decided the bath isn't big enough; they don't seem to make tubs to fit someone as ridiculously tall as you."

"You only say that because you are jealous, my little munchkin," he purred, pinching her big toe, and she threw the sponge at him. Erik just laughed, bending over so that he could capture her lips in a meaningful kiss. His hand slipped further up her leg and water sloshed onto the floor as Christine felt her centre of gravity shift; she flung out a hand of her own to brace herself and it landed on his chest, her wet fingers leaving dark prints on the wool of his sweater.

"Oh, do go away," she said breathlessly when he released her. "I was enjoying a few minutes of me time and you are taking entirely too much advantage."

He smiled wolfishly. "It could be us time instead..."

"Nope. Not just now. I've earned this bath and right now me comes first."

"What appalling grammar," he said, his expression pained. There was a faint call of "...Dad!" from the living room and he sighed. "When all of this is over, we are going to the Paris flat for a very long holiday."

"Just the two of us?" Christine asked; in reply he kissed her again.

"Definitely just the two of us," he agreed, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I wonder if Annie would take the girls for six months?"

"I doubt it, but I want to be in the room when you ask her."

Erik nuzzled her neck. "What did you put on your hair? It smells absolutely delicious."

"Right, that's enough." Reluctantly she pushed him away, but not before he'd nipped at her earlobe. "If you don't go back downstairs the kids are going to come looking for you and much as I would relish watching you trying to explain this, that's a conversation I'd prefer not to have just yet."

"Dad!" The shout from below was louder this time, followed by the sound of feet pattering on the stairs.

"Go on," Christine said. He groaned, getting slowly to his feet; as he moved she caught hold of his hand, tracing little circles on his palm with her index finger. "Of course, if you play your cards right I may see my way clear to continuing this tonight, when our two little darlings are safely asleep."

Erik's brow and its ruined twin rose and the corners of his mouth lifted in a wicked twist. "I'm just coming, sweetheart!" he called, adding in a voice just loud enough for his wife to hear, "I'm going to hold you to that."

"I look forward to it," she told him huskily, and he had to visibly pull himself together before exiting the room.

Chuckling to herself Christine listened, counting his footsteps as they descended to the ground floor. After waiting a minute or two in case of a sudden dire emergency which thankfully failed to materialise, she settled down again, increasing the volume of her music and topping up the hot water.

It seemed she might just have bought herself some extra time, and she was damn well going to make the most of it.