Chapter Sixteen
Moonlight streamed in the window as Alison began to stir. She could hear a voice, just a whisper. It sounded like Rafe but it didn't seem like he was talking to her. Curious, she slowly opened her eyes.
His head rested just above her stomach, his hand fluttering lightly over it as he spoke softly. As she realized what he was doing, her heart overflowed.
"..she's absolutely incredible - but you probably already know that. You're not even here yet and she's already looking out for you. She wants us to get married before you get here, and you know, I really should have thought of that myself."
Alison gently ran her hand through Rafe's hair as she whispered, "That's why you have me. To point out all the things you should be thinking of."
"Hey. I didn't mean to wake you." Rafe said as he moved to sit up.
"It's OK." She said with a smile. "You are so incredibly sweet, but you know, the baby can't hear you yet."
"Really?"
"Really. No ears yet. The baby's only just about an inch long. Don't you read anything I ask you to?"
"Yes." Rafe leaned in to kiss her. "But, you know - I just thought that our child would be so superior to all others that it would start to hear much earlier than usual."
Alison laughed as she kissed him back. "You would."
"Give me any book you want - I'm convinced - any kid of ours will be miles ahead of any other."
"Wow. That's a lot to live up to. Poor little baby." Alison said, her voice still shaking with laughter. She looked down and said, "Don't worry. I'll make sure your father doesn't push you too hard."
Rafe lay back into the pillows and pulled Alison close, sighing as he buried his nose in her hair.
Alison pulled away suddenly - her eyes wide. "Oh my God! Rafe - we left Abby down there. She saw how upset I was earlier. She must be worried sick."
Rafe kissed her to calm her down. "Don't worry - I'm sure she's fine. You know, I would've been able to go back down there to reassure her - but you were holding me captive."
"Oh. Is that what you call it?" Alison laughed again.
"Well. I was willing - but yes. I would." He pulled her back into his arms.
Alison laid her head on his chest, her voice became serious as she continued. "I just - I worry about her, Rafe. She's so lost without Cameron. I know exactly what that's like. I feel like that whenever I think I'm going to lose you."
"I'm not going anywhere." He held her tighter.
"But you are trying to figure out how to stop Caleb. Don't try to deny it. I know you."
Rafe sighed. "I thought we were talking about Abby."
"We were. I changed the subject. Now we're talking about you."
"How 'bout we change the subject again? Does the baby have fingers or toes yet?"
"Rafe Kovich - don't you dare use our child to get out of discussing something with me and I'm not telling you. Start reading that book tomorrow."
He kissed the top of her head, but didn't answer.
"Rafe?" Alison wasn't giving up.
Rafe's voice was full of frustration. "What do you want me to say - that it's not making me crazy knowing he's out there planning something? It is. I can't stop wondering what he's up to. I can't stop worrying that whatever that is - it'll end up hurting you and possibly - hurting our child. The need to stop him, Alison - it's so strong. I've felt it my entire life. I just can't ignore it."
Alison leaned her head on her hand and looked up at him. "I know. I'm just so scared Rafe. I'm afraid if we don't at least try to make peace with him - it'll destroy everything."
"I won't let that happen." Rafe gently stroked her cheek.
"I know you won't - I know you won't - I just.."
"shh." He said as he cut her off with a kiss, the rest of her words lost on his lips.
"Rafe." Alison whispered. She wanted him to know she understood, but that couldn't bear the thought of living her life without him - that her greatest fear was that if he chose this fight, she'd raise their child alone.
She didn't need to speak. They were so connected, he could feel her thoughts. "It's OK. shh.I know."
Unbelievably, for the first time in a long while, they weren't the ones in danger of being hurt. Their worries about the future were actually unfounded. Of course, someone close to them was in more danger than they could handle. Someone very close to them was being stalked by evil and was not really trained for the fight.
Rafe's hands threaded through Alison's hair, his lips, softly, sweetly pressed against hers, making her sigh. Despite their worries, they slowly, wordlessly, made their way together again, and as always when their bodies joined it was as if they shared one heart, one soul.
Outside the window, dawn was breaking. They were another day closer to their dreams coming true.
Moonlight streamed in the window as Alison began to stir. She could hear a voice, just a whisper. It sounded like Rafe but it didn't seem like he was talking to her. Curious, she slowly opened her eyes.
His head rested just above her stomach, his hand fluttering lightly over it as he spoke softly. As she realized what he was doing, her heart overflowed.
"..she's absolutely incredible - but you probably already know that. You're not even here yet and she's already looking out for you. She wants us to get married before you get here, and you know, I really should have thought of that myself."
Alison gently ran her hand through Rafe's hair as she whispered, "That's why you have me. To point out all the things you should be thinking of."
"Hey. I didn't mean to wake you." Rafe said as he moved to sit up.
"It's OK." She said with a smile. "You are so incredibly sweet, but you know, the baby can't hear you yet."
"Really?"
"Really. No ears yet. The baby's only just about an inch long. Don't you read anything I ask you to?"
"Yes." Rafe leaned in to kiss her. "But, you know - I just thought that our child would be so superior to all others that it would start to hear much earlier than usual."
Alison laughed as she kissed him back. "You would."
"Give me any book you want - I'm convinced - any kid of ours will be miles ahead of any other."
"Wow. That's a lot to live up to. Poor little baby." Alison said, her voice still shaking with laughter. She looked down and said, "Don't worry. I'll make sure your father doesn't push you too hard."
Rafe lay back into the pillows and pulled Alison close, sighing as he buried his nose in her hair.
Alison pulled away suddenly - her eyes wide. "Oh my God! Rafe - we left Abby down there. She saw how upset I was earlier. She must be worried sick."
Rafe kissed her to calm her down. "Don't worry - I'm sure she's fine. You know, I would've been able to go back down there to reassure her - but you were holding me captive."
"Oh. Is that what you call it?" Alison laughed again.
"Well. I was willing - but yes. I would." He pulled her back into his arms.
Alison laid her head on his chest, her voice became serious as she continued. "I just - I worry about her, Rafe. She's so lost without Cameron. I know exactly what that's like. I feel like that whenever I think I'm going to lose you."
"I'm not going anywhere." He held her tighter.
"But you are trying to figure out how to stop Caleb. Don't try to deny it. I know you."
Rafe sighed. "I thought we were talking about Abby."
"We were. I changed the subject. Now we're talking about you."
"How 'bout we change the subject again? Does the baby have fingers or toes yet?"
"Rafe Kovich - don't you dare use our child to get out of discussing something with me and I'm not telling you. Start reading that book tomorrow."
He kissed the top of her head, but didn't answer.
"Rafe?" Alison wasn't giving up.
Rafe's voice was full of frustration. "What do you want me to say - that it's not making me crazy knowing he's out there planning something? It is. I can't stop wondering what he's up to. I can't stop worrying that whatever that is - it'll end up hurting you and possibly - hurting our child. The need to stop him, Alison - it's so strong. I've felt it my entire life. I just can't ignore it."
Alison leaned her head on her hand and looked up at him. "I know. I'm just so scared Rafe. I'm afraid if we don't at least try to make peace with him - it'll destroy everything."
"I won't let that happen." Rafe gently stroked her cheek.
"I know you won't - I know you won't - I just.."
"shh." He said as he cut her off with a kiss, the rest of her words lost on his lips.
"Rafe." Alison whispered. She wanted him to know she understood, but that couldn't bear the thought of living her life without him - that her greatest fear was that if he chose this fight, she'd raise their child alone.
She didn't need to speak. They were so connected, he could feel her thoughts. "It's OK. shh.I know."
Unbelievably, for the first time in a long while, they weren't the ones in danger of being hurt. Their worries about the future were actually unfounded. Of course, someone close to them was in more danger than they could handle. Someone very close to them was being stalked by evil and was not really trained for the fight.
Rafe's hands threaded through Alison's hair, his lips, softly, sweetly pressed against hers, making her sigh. Despite their worries, they slowly, wordlessly, made their way together again, and as always when their bodies joined it was as if they shared one heart, one soul.
Outside the window, dawn was breaking. They were another day closer to their dreams coming true.