Chapter 24

Kriss went back to Dave's quarters to get Chloë. She waited by the door and could hear Dave talking to her.

"Chloë, Chloë" he was calling "what you doing?" Kriss listened harder and smiled "are you uncle Dave's good little girl?" Kriss could hear Chloë giggle, "you are, yes you are" Kriss moved into the doorway and watched him playing with Chloë. He blew on her stomach, which made her laugh and giggle, Chloë sounded so happy with Dave, and she had never laughed with Arnold. Dave heard Kriss laugh to and turned round.

"Sorry" he said, "I just can't help but tiggle her and play with her, she's such a lovely baby, so happy"

"If only it would rub off on mummy," she said to them both

"You not happy?" Dave asked her

"Not really" she told him

"Are you regretting this?"

"No way" she told him "I've got Chloë, she's my world, I wouldn't be without her"

"At least something good has come from this" Dave agreed, "Chloë is the silver lining"

"I never loved Arnold" Kriss admitted, "I thought I did, but now I know I didn't"

"Why do you say that?" Dave asked her

"I didn't know what real love was until I had Chloë" the moment I saw her I forgot about all the pain she caused me and just knew I loved her, it was at that point I learnt what real love is, and it wasn't the same of what I felt for Arnold"

"What did you feel for Rimmer?" Dave asked

"Lust I suppose" he told he "really it was just sex, that's all we really did" Kriss ran the next sentence through her brain to make sure the wording was right and then said it "I realise now that I loved you Dave"

He looked at her "Really?" he asked "do you love me now?"

"I don't know, Dave" she replied, "You really hurt me"

"I know," he told her "I'm really sorry"

"I will say one thing I love about you though"

"What's that?"

"How good you are with Chloë, it's almost like she's yours"

"Kriss" he started "just remember this, if in the future you decided you want me but are not sure because of Chloë don't worry I'll love her like she's mine"

"How can you do that?" she asked him

"Kriss he started, she's part of you I'll love her like I love you"

This made Kriss smile,

"That's wonderful" she said, "thank you"

"Also" he continued, "how could anyone not love her? She's a lovely baby, you're very lucky"

Kriss just smiled "keep her for me for a bit will you?" she asked, "I need some time alone to think"

"Sure," Dave jumped at the chance

"She's due a feed in 2 hours so I'll come back then"

"Where are you going?" Dave asked, "just in case I need you?"

"I'll be in my quarters" Kriss responded "but the most important thing is don't let her out of your sight for a second and don't let Arnold anywhere near her"

"I promise" Dave told her "I know this, you know I know this"

"I just want to make sure," she told him "it's for Chloë's safety"

Kriss made her way back to her quarters, when she arrived she sat down and thought about it all. She had already decided that she didn't love Arnold and she knew that Chloë was the most important person in this and she came first. What if she went out with Dave and it all went pear-shaped she couldn't do that to Chloë, but she didn't think it would. She was torn. She decided to leave it for a while just to settle down with Chloë properly then she'd see about it. Kriss rolled over and got an hours sleep before the pain of her full breast woke her up

Chloë was crying when Kriss arrived

"How long has she been crying?" Kriss asked Dave

"Not long just thins minute started " he replied

"Thanks Dave" she unbuttoned her shirt, undid her nursing bra and started feeding. This quietened Chloë down completely and she was quite happy suckling away.

"She's a hungry baby" said Dave

"Tell me about it" Kriss answered, "she's got a very strong suck as well, my nipples are raw"

"Thanks for that" Dave said sarcastically

"Sorry" she said, they laughed, "they'll soften up though, first baby not used to it"

"Do you want anymore?" Dave asked her

"Oh definitely" she told him "but not with Arnold.

"No" Dave agreed

"You'd make a great dad" Kriss told Dave

"No I wouldn't" he disagreed

"Yes you would" she insisted, "look how good you are with Chloë, and she's not even yours" Dave smiled "you're be great"

"You're a wonderful mother though, Kriss" Dave told her

"Thank you" she answered "I try my best, I'm just working on the idea of as long as I put Chloë first we'll be okay"

"Good idea" Dave agreed

"I just don't like the idea of being a single mum" she told him "but I can't stay with Arnold"

"You won't be single for long" Dave told her "everyone wants you, you'll find someone."

"Maybe I already have" she told him "when Chloë's asleep we'll talk, maybe we can get our relationship back on track, if that's what you want"

"There's nothing I want more" Dave smiled this is exactly what he wanted.

As Kriss finished off Chloë's feed she thought about what she was going to say to Dave. He wasn't as good in bed as Arnold, but did that really matter? Was sex that important? She decided that it wasn't. Dave could give her so much more than Arnold and to be honest seemed much more natural and fatherly to Chloë. Was this what she wanted. She knew deep down it was, she knew that Dave Lister was the man for her and she knew what she had to do.