Chapter 42.
"Stop that!" Moray giggled. She was corned in the kitchen, Cell with the feather duster and a licence to tickle.
"I fear, I can not." His tail coiled around her feet, one hand grabbed her wrists and pulled them above her head. She squirmed with a huge grin on her face as he attacked her with the cleaning utensil again.
"HA HA HA HA!" she roared with laughter, and he smiled at her. "No fair!"
"I think you will find that I am very fair."
"How is HA HA this fair?" she pouted at him, but he simply smirked.
"I am the male, the alpha male, I have the feather duster, I am your dominant mate, I am stronger than you (for now) and you were foolish enough to willingly hand over the potential weapon. So that is how this is fair." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Mmm, don't mind of I do." His own tongue snaked out and brushed tips with hers. She giggled again, and grinned. This distraction had made him loosen his tail's grip on her ankles. Moray yanked her feet up, wrapped her long legs around his waist, forced her still shackled (by his hands) arms around his neck and smirked victoriously down at him.
"Ha, I win."
"I surrender…if the price is right."
"Price? If you surrender my good sir, doesn't that mean you get a punishment?"
"Well, I have been a bad man."
"Ooo, bad bad boy." She chuckled as his hands held her backside for support. When she finished giggling, she noticed that Cell was simply gazing lovingly into her eyes.
"I love you." Moray smiled softly and cupped his ivory cheeks. She stroked them tenderly and leaned closer to him. She rubbed the end of her nose with his.
"Soft git." He erupted with laughter, as did she.
Until he threw her onto the kitchen side.
"I will show you who is soft!" but before he had gotten more than half ontop of her, the door rang. "Damn it. if that is the postman I am going to k…" he got a look from Moray. "…indly greet him. I will be back." He walked into the door way, and looked back. Moray sat with her legs over the side, resting on her hands by her sides and smiling at him. Her long, luscious green hair was down, but brushed to one side. He could only think one thing.
I am the luckiest creature alive. Or dead.
He then returned his attention to the door as it rang loudly. "I am coming." He growled. It better not be the damn postman. He ripped the door open…and saw her.
18 stood in the door way, flushed in the face and looking like she had been crying for hours.
"C Can I s see her?" she stuttered, her hair a mess like the rest of her. Cell looked to her sternly, and leaned closer to her.
"Yes you may. But if you harm her mentally or physically, I will kill you." The seriousness to that tone was more than a threat.
It was a vow.
She nodded and he told her to stay there. He returned to the kitchen where Moray was sweeping more petals into a black bin bag. They had been doing a big clear up after yesterday. Cell had to smile when she insisted on helping him. He refused her help, but when she just ignored him and helped anyway, how could he refuse her? He had never been able to refuse her, it seems. He had found true perfection with this woman, this wonderful creature he called Mate.
Moray.
She turned to face him, and gave him such a warm smile that he would have teared.
If it was possible for him to do so.
"So who was at the door honey?" she tied a bag, but it just unfurled again. "Darn."
"Here." He stood behind her and slid his hands down her arms, and over hers. "Like this." He helped her tie it, and when they stood again, he held her stomach and looked down the cruck of her neck and into her gorgeous, gentle eyes. "My Kami you are heaven sent."
"And you are my night in green mottled armour." He chuckled with her, and nuzzled her ear softly. "You are very cuddly today."
"You are very cuddlyable."
"Cell? Did you just make that up?" she laughed.
"Perhaps I did. Does it matter? My point was given and received in the contexts I pleased." She turned around in his arms, and placed her hands on his pecks.
"I could just cuddle you all day, you know that?" she kissed his chin.
"There will be plenty of time for that…after…" he cast a worried glance to the door, and then closed his eyes. He leaned down, and placed a soft, reassuring and worryingly caressing kiss on her lips.
"Cell? What is wrong?"
"There is someone at the door, who I believe needs to talk to you. Almost as much as you need to talk to them." Moray pulled away, an eyebrow raised and not liking the unsure look in his eyes.
Cell was never unsure.
"What have you done? Who is at the door?"
"Cell leaned back against the counter, and closed his eyes like he did in the ring.
"Go and fine out…my love." Very reluctantly, and feeling more than frightful, Moray backed away from him and into the hallway. She never took her eyes from him until she had to turn to open the door.
Slowly, she creaked it open and stopped with then she saw half a face.
Short blonde hair.
A large blue eye.
On the other side 18 had been wondering if this was a huge mistake, until the door opened.
Long green hair.
One pink eye.
The door remained this way, with both androids looking at each other like this. Until Moray slammed the door shut. She covered her eyes and tried o run deeper into the house…only to slam into a strong chest.
"NO! I WONT!" Moray flung her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest. "I WONT LOSE YOU TO HER! I WONT! I LOVE YOU!" it pained him to see her like this, and he had feared this would be her initial reaction.
"She is not here to do any such thing. Do you honestly believe she would be stood there, and I would not be taking action, if that was her intention? I will not lose you to her either. But she does not want to take you away."
"How do you know…?"
"Because. I have spoken with her." Moray pulled back again, and looked to him.
"When?" her eyes flung open and she clenched her fists. "You saw her yesterday didn't you? While I was out of the house!" Tears fell more freely down her face as she drew a dark conclusion. "That's why you planned last night. So I didn't get suspicious! I thought you did it because you wanted to." she sobbed and held her sides.
"Don't be absurd." He rolled his eyes and forced her into an embrace. Although she couldn't help but need his strong arms around her, she didn't hold him back. "Never ever think I didn't want to do for you what I did yesterday. I love you Moray, with all my heart. I have told you this, you should not doubt me."
"I, I don't but-"
"Then there is no need for that kind of concern. As for my reasons for seeing you mother, I have made it quite clear that we would face her together. But you were not ready to face her just yet." He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes, letting all his love for her show in his eyes for the first time in his life. This act made Moray melt into him. He looked so worried for her. "Now I feel, with me at your side, you can face her. and I also wanted to make it clear that you mother wanted to come, for you. Not because she had any sort of vendetta against me, or the me of this time line. As I am not he."
"I know." she whimpered and wrapped her arms around his waist. This made him sigh with relief and kiss her forehead.
"She is here for you, she is here because she will seek for forgiveness, like you so dearly want."
"I, she might not be there anymore…"
"She is. I can sense her and so should you. Or was that wishful thinking?"
"…possibly…"
"I am right here with you. If you wish, I will let her in and you can sit in the living room."
"No." she said sternly, taking his hand in hers and looking to the door. "I am not letting her near you without me being there. I know you can handle yourself…but…"
"I understand." He had to smile. She was weaker than he was, but she still felt the need to protect him. oh hell he had to use all his logic to fight the urge to just blast the source of the 'problem' away and return to the normality they had before she came. "Come. It is time."
"Ok…thank you…and I am sorry for-"
"Please, no need." He rubbed the back of her palm with his thumb, and they walked to the door. Now crying fresh tears from an old woe, 18 gasped as Moray opened the door again.
"…Mom…"
"…Oh my baby!" 18 ran at her and threw her arms around her. Cell pulled his hand away and placed it on her shoulder, knowing that Moray would want to hold her mother back.
And she did.
"Mommy!" Moray whimpered and they stood there, hugging like they hadn't seen each other in decades. Cell knew what he had to do. He stood back and watched as they walked into the living room. they sat together on the couch and still wept happily.
"I missed you my darling." 18 ran her hands down her daughter's hair and chuckled. "Green. I knew you would do this one day. I thought it would be red or black though. You were always one to be a little bit rebellious."
"Sounds familiar…" Cell muttered and 18 cast him a glance. He was stood against the wall, in the background. He was aloof from the loving scene. She smiled. He knew when to take the spot light and when to step back. And now he stepped back.
"It isn't too bad I suppose. A bit wild though." Moray started to laugh.
"You came all this way to scrutinise my hair?" 18 chuckled too, and kissed her daughter's hands.
"No, I came…to say I am sorry…" there, she had said it. it took so long, so many attempts before the mirror, so long…and she had said it.
Moray was speechless at first. But her face became soft, but stern.
"I want to forgive you…I really do…" she looked to Cell. "Can you accept me like this? You once called me Monster…"
"I know…and I was wrong. I shouldn't have done that I know."
"So you accept me like this?"
"Yes I do. Of course I do." She sniffled, happy to have her daughter back.
"And…" 18's face fell. What else was there?
"And?"
"And…do you accept Cell?"
"Honey, I love you; I am your mother. I want you back baby."
"Then do you accept Cell? Because I do not come as just me anymore mom, I now come as a pair. You want me back; you have to be able to accept Cell to. He is my mate and I love him."
"Mate…you are mated? I thought only Saiyans mated?"
"As you well know 18, more than half my cells are Saiyan and now so are Moray's. So yes, we are mated. Is that an issue?" at first 18 scowled…but it softened. It was just like them being married wasn't it? …and she didn't exactly have a choice now did she?
"…don't get me wrong…I wouldn't have chosen him as a first choice for you…" Moray felt her tears well up. She was going to reject the love of her life. Was she really that hung up on her grudge? Against a different Cell? "…but…" a glimmer of hope made her catch her breath in her throat. "…I may have to grow to like him…for your sake…"
"Oh mother!" Moray launched at her and threw her arms around her again. "You really mean it?"
"Well yes of course I do. I am actually glad you are mated in a way. I mean, I do now have a grand-"
"(COUGH!)" Cell interrupted and shuck his head. 18 let her mouth make a small o over Moray's shoulder. "-Grand son in law. He will certainly protect you and provide for you it seems."
"Of course." Cell nodded and Moray pulled out of the embrace.
"Thank you mother. Thank you so much."
"I am forgiven?"
"Yes, or course."
"Then I must leave. I told you father I would be coming here for your forgiveness, and that I would return once I had it. thank you…"
"Come back soon ok?" she didn't want her to go. But obviously Cell did.
"After you have spoken to one of us previously." He added, pulling away from the wall and standing by his mate's side.
"Oh of course." 18 teared, her nightmares clearing up and her heart so much lighter. She left the Gero residence with one thought.
Cell you crafty devil. You haven't told her.
ooOoo
As soon as her mother left, Moray became a leach on Cell's back, taking a piggy back ride.
"What are you doing?" he panicked, surprised greatly.
"Oh Cell I love you! Thank you so much!" she kissed his head and neck constantly, smothering his skin with trails from her lips. He chuckled and tried to turn to face her. But failed.
"Come down from there and show me how grateful you are." Moray shuddered from the very stern, but seductive order. She was so ecstatic right now, she couldn't believe it. She jumped down and Cell immediately turned round on her. His arms snaked around her waist, and he raised a naughty eyebrow. "I am very glad that this has happened. You deserve this happiness. Our family seems to grow." He purred into her ear, and traced her jaw with one hand, the other holding her back. He jerked her to him and received a whimper.
"You are just so…perfect." She involuntarily battered her eyes at him, and he growled. Baring his Saiyan inherited fangs at her and bringing them close to hers. She opened her mouth and panted into him, and he did in return. As their breaths mixed, he lifted her into his arms and she held his neck.
"Why thank you. Oh…I just remembered something very, very crucial."
"Oh yes?"
"Yes." He walked through the hall and to the stairs. "There is a matter of my punishment we need to discus. And I believe…I was accused of being soft…"
"Perish the thought." She chuckled as he drew closer to the bedroom. "But then again…you didn't try to glare at my mother once while she was here or threaten her with death." That's what you think "I might need persuading…"
"Allow me, to open the debate." He smirked and lowered her gently to the bed. "Today we will concern the topic, of whether I am soft" He laid next to her and took one of her hands."…or alternatively." He sealed his lips to hers, sensually smoothing his mouth with hers. While he guided her hand down his front and slowly down …
"Hard!"
Dear readers, Draguna here.
Yeah I know, shorter than usual, but it is for a reason. So enjoy and I will update again very soon.
From
Draguna