AN:I am so very sorry this took so long to get out. I have so many stories going at once and I'm not keeping up with all very well. My mind grabs hold of new ideas too fast for me to finish a previous one. Anyhow, I hope you like this. I have more done up just have to get it typed and uploaded. Here's hoping it is sooner than later!!
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Athena woke before dawn, crawling from bed quietly to not wake Chris. She showered and dressed before making her way downstairs. From there she went through every room to make sure everything was spotless and in its place. Then, she started some laundry, did the evening dishes, and started breakfast. Chris was use to this, so said nothing as he came down to the smell of the food.
He walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "Morning," he greeted groggily.
"Morning." She returned the kiss to the cheek and continued making breakfast.
"Watcha feeding me, woman?" He asked with a smile.
She glanced back with a raised brow. "Keep it up, flyboy."
"What?" He grinned at her and sat down at the table watching her. She shook her head and dished up his breakfast of three eggs over easy, two slices of unbuttered toast, two slices of bacon, and half a grapefruit. She set the breakfast in front of him, getting a large smile before he dug in. She sat down with her own breakfast of two boiled eggs, two slices of unbuttered toast, and half a grapefruit.
They ate in silence for a few moments before she spoke. "Are you ready to go shopping?"
With a mouth full of food, he replied as any man would. "Do we have to?"
She stops herself from rolling her eyes. "It is your child I am shopping for."
"Our child." He swallowed his food.
"Yes," she agreed, stabbing one of her eggs with her fork.
"Alright, Mommy, we'll go." He smiled at her and returned to his food, thinking it was settled.
"Is that sarcasm?" She raised her brow again and watched him closely.
He sighed internally. "No, you're mommy, aren't you? I mean, I'm daddy and all..."
"Do you want to go or not?" She asked tersely. Either he did or he did not. There was no middle ground as far as she was concerned. She could easily go alone.
"Not really, but if I don't you'll hurt me."
She bit back her retort. It seemed he was being purposefully difficult. She was not going to play along. "Fine. I am going to get ready. I suggest you do the same," she ground out before standing and heading into the living room and for the stairs.
He sighed. He cursed hormones as he followed her and caught her near the stairs. He pulled her back against his chest. "Was just giving you a hard time. Don't take it so hard."
She glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "I'm just on edge about Sherry getting here tomorrow and the whole Rebecca thing, not to mention my oh so loving father." She shrugged.
"He loves you." Chris was sure Wesker loved her. He was never like he was with her with anyone else. She had brought him out of some sort of shell. Only Rebecca saw that side of him besides Athena. "And, I'm sure Rebecca will be fine."
"Hmm, yes, I suppose he does, and I am sure she will." She made no move to leave his arms, relaxing back against him for a moment.
"Why don't just you and I go? We'll get him baby fatigues." He smiled at her.
She cracked a smile. "No nancy Air Force blues, alright."
"Hey!" He squeezed her to him. She grinned up at him
"Yes?" She asked innocently.
"I'll have you know I looked damn good in those Air Force blues." She had no doubts that he did. He looked damn good in, or out, of anything.
"Perhaps," she was not going to give in though, "still a nancy though." She spun away from him and took off up the stairs, laughing. He took after her, catching her in their room.
"Just for that, we are."
"Are what?"
"Getting him baby Air Force blues." He smirked at her. "And a little police uniform, too."
She looked at him and sighed dramatically. "Oh, alright, but I'm getting him Marine fatigues, dress blues, and a little commando outfit."
He began rummaging for clothes. "Deal. Oh, and will you marry me?" He did not look at her or act any different. He made it sound as simple as ordering out for dinner.
She stopped pulling on her shirt and looked at him "Wh... what?" She could not have heard him right.
"It's a deal. You get him your stuff, we get him my stuff, and will you marry me?" He continued to dig for some jeans.
"I... you..." She is shocked. The timing and everything was off. She sat down heavily on the bed.
"Yes?" He continued to ack nonchalant when his insides were doing a dance worried she would say no.
She just sat dazed. She knew he would ask at some point but had never thought it would be so out of the blue. "I... Well, I can't say... I have to..."
"Yes?" He moved to sit by her on the bed. He watched her carefully for an indication to how she was going to answer.
"Dammit, we couldn't you have given me some warning? I had something I wanted to say that just flew right out the window!"
He chuckled at her. "I believe that the only thing I need to hear is a yes or no." He smiled at her. "Of course, if you say no I'll just pester you until you say yes." While he spoke, he missed her affirmative. "What?" He knew she had said something.
Just as simply as when he had been talking, she softly said, "Yes." Her tone told him there was really no other answer. He kissed her soundly, which she happily returned.
"Now, let's go get my boy some clothes and you a ring." She nods and they both finish dressing.
As they are leaving the house, "Do you want to go alone or ask dad and Rebecca? I told them they were going, but..."
"Sweetheart, it is up to you. I know you are having problems with your father." He kissed her nose.
She rolled her eyes. "You are too sweet at times. You do know that, right?" He nodded vigorously. She shook her head and sighed. "Let's at least ask them if they want to go with us."
"Alright, shall we stop by or call?"
"Stop."
"Then let's go." He picked her up with a grin and carried her out to his truck and placed her inside. She glared up at him. "Yes, snuggle bunny?"
"I am perfectly able to walk, flyboy." He grinned back and moved to get into the other side of the truck. "And don't call me that." He continue to grin as he started the truck and headed for Wesker's.
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Wesker, like his daughter, was up by dawn. He, too, made sure the house was clean before starting breakfast. Rebecca remained in bed though she was not asleep. She just listened to what he was doing, trying to figure out why he did not blame her. He had held her so close after they had returned home the night before. What was he thinking? Had Athena's mother meant nothing to him? She could not understand what was going on in his head.
He finally came into wake her, shaking her shoulder gently. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into bed with her, snuggling up against his chest. She did not say a word. He smirked down at her. "You need to get up and eat. You haven't had anything in a few days."
"Would rather stay like this." She held him tighter.
"As would I but I have things I must do, things I've been neglecting. You need to eat, get your strength back."
"Please?" She burrowed tighter against him. "Just one more day?"
"Athena wants us to go shopping with her, remember?"
"I'm not sure I can..." She still felt weak from being in bed for so long.
"Alright. Then we'll not go." He kissed her head. He was not going to force her to go, and he knew Athena would understand.
"You should go. She feels you don't love her."
"She knows I do." He was certain she did. She had to. She was his daughter. How could he not love her?
"I won't come between you. I'd rather leave first."
"You won't come between us," he assured her. He would not let her come between them, and he sure as hell would not let her leave.
"I already have," she whispered so soft as she buried her face in his shoulder that he barely heard her with his heightened hearing.
"Rebecca, you haven't." He pulled her face up to look at him. Her sorrowful eyes met his. "Don't let our spats go to heart. It's something we do on a regular basis."
"This is deeper. You two should be closer now. She needs you now more than before with the baby and all."
"Rebecca, listen to me. You are not coming between my daughter and I. She'll understand that you don't feel like going out right now and that I need to stay here with you." He looked deep into her eyes. She was not going to change his mind.
She gave him a small smile. "I won't do that. We'll go with her but you have to promise to talk to her. And when we get back, it's just you and me in here."
He considered it a moment. "Alright, you best get dressed and go eat."
"I said I'd go, but can we just stay like this until they get here?"
He sighed. She was very difficult at times. "Fine. But you will eat when they get here." He was not going to fight with her over how long they stayed in bed. There was no point in aggravating himself more.
"Yes, sir, Commander, sir." She gave him a smile. He smirked back, shaking his head. She put hers back down on his shoulder. "We should talk about us as well, I think."
"What about us?" He did not like where this could go.
"I... Well, you were my commanding officer. I don't want you to think that means you are in command of everything in my life."
He raised a brow. "I think I am intelligent enough to separate the two." How could she think he would.... He felt like smacking himself. He came off that way is how she could think it.
She decided to test it. "So, if I told you I wasn't really hungry?"
He looked at her. "As your lover, I would still wish for you to eat so you stay healthy. As your commander, it is not my place to order you to eat. As a scientist, I damn well know you need to eat if you feel hungry or not."
She gave him a kiss. "Slowly. Just some toast for now."
"Alright, agreed." He considered the matter closed. She did not.
"And, if I told you I would like to change some things in the house? Would I be allowed?" She waited to see if he divided this like he had the last.
"If you are staying here, then yes."
She had not expected that. "If?" She asked after a moment. Where else did he expect her to stay?
"I want you to, but I'm not going to make you."
"Would you ask me?" She wanted to hear the words.
"Ask you?" He was confused.
"To stay." Thinking that he had already, he just looked at her curiously. "Albert, ask me, in the form of a question. Not I want you to. Not you are. But, will you stay with me."
"Will you stay with me?" He mimicked. She nodded and kissed him. "Well?" When she did not verbally answer.
She smiled at him. "Yes, I will stay with you in your house."
"Good." He kissed her this time.
She kissed back then looked deep in his eyes. "Your eyes have totally changed now." Before he could answer, a knock sounded on the door. "I'll get it." She moved to get off the bed.
Wesker grabbed her arm. "Toast. I'll get it."
"I'll get the door. You get my toast. No butter, just plain and lightly toasted." He eyed her a moment then gave in. He would not win against her. She smiled at him as he headed for the kitchen. She made for the front door.
