Ciara finished dressing Bobcat in her favorite tiger striped onesie. As she looked at the infant in her outfit she could not help but remark in disdain.
"Ben, when are we going to find a subtle way to tell Gabi, thank you but no thank you for her "gifts." I really can't believe Baby Chic is now marketing these styles to babies."
"Yeah, I can't stand that thing on her, either." He began to prepare the baby's bed, "If we both don't like it why do you put her in it?"
Ciara readjusted the little girl in her arms, "Simple your daughter loves it."
Ben looked up, "My daughter?" he then teased, "Oh, so that's how it is going to be? She's my daughter when she disagrees with you?"
"Bobbie is going to be a Daddy's Girl, just like I was." Ciara proudly responded as she headed back to their bedroom with the child.
As Ben continued to finish their daughter's bed he looked over at her dresser and saw the framed picture of Bo Brady holding Ciara when she was a baby. His glance then caught another picture of his late never met before father-in-law hugging Ciara. It was the last picture father and daughter had taken together.
"Ah, damn." He muttered softly feeling he had accidentally upset his wife.
A few minutes passed and then Ben entered their bedroom. Ciara was laying on her right side trying to get their daughter to fall asleep. He could see Bobcat was lying on his side of the bed.
"Babe I'm sorry I didn't mean to…you know make you think of your Dad. I know you always miss him but especially now."
Ciara sat up and felt horrible that sometimes her husband seemed to walk on eggshells when it came to her father afraid he would upset her. "Baby you didn't upset me. Yeah, I wish he was here now to meet his new granddaughter and get to hold her and love her. But I like thinking about him. The time we had together was short but I cherish every moment and memory I had with him." She ran her fingers through the small child's bushy hair, "I love seeing how you are with our daughter. The way no matter how tired you are you always have a smile for her. The way after her bath you give her your famous burrito style drying that when you unwrap her she's completely dry. The funny voices you do for her when you read her stories." She kissed Ben's hand, "Remember when we first found out I was pregnant? You were so happy that you were basically telling everyone we met as we strolled to the Pub to tell my Uncle Roman. Even strangers. Then you started to doubt yourself when we saw Sami and she said our baby would do better having a cobra for a father."
Ben bowed his head than looked up, "What can I say? Look who my Dad is. And…."
Ciara cut him off, "And nothing. Ben you are not the father Clyde was and I never doubted you for one minute and that's why I enjoyed putting Sami in her place until she broke into tears and ran out of the Pub. I couldn't have picked a better man to be my child's father and Bobcat could not have been born to a better Daddy, she loves you so much. I see the way she gets when she hears your voice. Her sounds change as if she's cheering. Even while I was carrying her, she would hear your voice and give me such a kick out of this world."
"Our girl thinks the world of you too." Ben moved Bobcat slightly closer to Ciara then reclined on the bed, "I see sometimes when you hold her upright in your arms. She has that partner in crime look on her face."
Ciara became somber for a second, "Baby, when Eric and Nicole were here today, Holly wanted to draw a picture for the Baby. I remembered that there was some plain paper in the big draw of the desk in the study. While I was getting the paper I found…um…it's on the dresser."
Ben walked over to the dresser and found an album filled with pictures. He then sat at the foot of the bed and was silent for a few minutes.
"I didn't know he kept this."
"Honey, I know you still are a bit angry with your father…." Ciara saw that Ben was affected by the pictures of his past, "But maybe he has really changed."
He took a moment to answer, "Babe, sometimes I feel like myself and Clyde can get to a place to be a normal father and son. Then he pulls something that reminds I can never fully trust him. When I blew up at him when I last saw him, I just felt tired of doing the same dance with him. The way he used you really felt like he threw any way of me seeing him as real father out the window. "
Ciara took a deep breath, "I will never give your Dad a pass for the way he abused you, your Mom and especially Jordan. And because of that I will always be cautious of him. But I saw a side of him when you were on death row and he was willing to do anything to make sure you weren't going to face the needle. Yes, he should have made his pitch to the both of us, but he wasn't conspiring behind your back. For once he just wanted to put you and his grandchild first. He wanted the best for both of you." She took Ben's hand in hers, "He knows you can be very proud sometimes and maybe you wouldn't have accepted his gift to us. He just wanted the best for the baby which is something you wanted too."
"That's exactly it." Ben sat up ram rod straight, "He knew I wanted it too that's why he wanted you to come here and see the house and once you did you would want it to for me."
"I'll be honest I was hesitant at first when Clyde made his offer but it wasn't this grand sacrifice. I saw this house and the land and I genuinely fell in love with it. It was your dream yes, but I wanted it to. Ben, I love this house. I love decorating it and making it our home. It's our home not the terrible memories you had here."
Ben felt it was time he was completely honest with Ciara, "Ciara you know I never had a steady home or a place I could actually call home until I met you. I don't have a problem with living here again. I couldn't give a damn even if Clyde lived in the barn. This our house and our farm now. I have so many dreams of how this place is going to look little by little. Us happy. Someday a colt for Bobbie to raise and ride someday. But I can't help but feel guilty about what our dream has cost you. Your family. Babe, I was a nomad until I got to Salem. You always were part of a great big family that love you so much. It's easy for me to pick up and live anywhere. Things are a lot different now because I have you and Sugar Plum." He picked the almost sleeping baby up in his arms and kissed the top of her head, "As long as were together I have all the family I need. But you left yours behind."
Ciara moved closer to Ben and their baby, "You and this sweet baby are my primary family and my world. Of course I miss Salem sometimes and just being a bike ride away from my Mom and my grandparents but you our daughter come first. Living here is not the end of my world it's our new beginning. We're just in Missouri and when the baby gets older we'll drive more frequently up there to visit our family. You are a part of the Brady, Kiriakis and Horton family too remember. And they haven't forgotten us either. Remember when the baby was born? We had to pry my grandpa Doug and Grandma Julie out of the guest room. Plus, we'll be seeing them for Christmas Eve and for the baby's christening on New Year's Eve when we visit Salem."
Ben rolled his eyes, "Don't remind me. In spring I need to paint the room they were in a color for the living."
Ciara chuckled, "That's Julie for you. I'm so sorry Baby that she's ninety percent complainer and ten percent Grandma." She then noticed their baby starting to yawn and then enthusiastically whispered, "She's falling asleep."
Ben looked down carefully and replied softly, "I'll put her in her bassinette."
Slowly and strategically he rose from the bed and carried Bobcat with extra care as if she were dynamite, knowing the slightest jostling would wake her back to complete alertness.
When Ben got his daughter to her room, he gently placed her in her bed. He then kissed his ring finger and lightly touched her forehead. Under is breathe he said, "Good Night my Angel until midnight we meet again."
Gingerly walking back to the bedroom he was pleasantly surprised to find Ciara lying on the bed in nothing but a black lace bra with matching panties.
"I'm hoping I'm OK. I still have a bit of baby fat left over." Ciara relayed nervously.
"You're perfect." His voice was shy, "Don't hate me but I'm nervous. This is our first time since our daughter was born so I want to proceed slowly."
Ciara smiled lightly," It's Ok. The doctor said I'm completely healed."
"No, it's not only that. I just want to appreciate you. I want it to be like our first time again like when we first made love in the gatehouse. Take time to get to know each other, explore each other. "he approached the bed slowly.
Ciara teared up a bit, 'You are sweet and beautiful Benjamin Oliver Weston." She then extended her left hand inviting him to their bed.
Ben sat down beside her and looked deeply into her eyes. Ciara looked deeply into his eyes and then initiated their physical reunion by assisting him in taking off his black tee shirt. She then gazed at the sight of Ben's bare chest and slid her ring finger lightly down his chest and then softly ran it in circles against his left nipple.
Ben took a deep breath and then nervously laughed, "Oh, my God I feel like it's our first time all over again. My heart is racing like that night and the day I got out of Statesville too. He took her hand and placed it against his chest.
Ciara started to giggle then declared, "Oh, wow. My heart is giving your heart a run for its money." She took his hand and placed it against her chest.
"Wow. That was such a beautiful night. The first time I told you I loved you." Ben licked his bottom lip.
"Ben, you told me so many times before without saying it out loud. I wish I had told you sooner that I loved you too." Ciara looked down ashamed, "I was afraid to say it because I was afraid there was a possibility you didn't feel the same way. But I should have known better. When I think back to the cabin. I think you had your own little ways of showing me you were little more than interested than helping my leg get better. And I have to admit I felt kind of like teenager when you were washing my feet. All shy yet so amazed. I was saying to myself. I can't believe he is actually washing my feet." She interlocked their fingers together. You were my everything from that moment on."
Ben swallowed hard choked up, "That's all I ever wanted to be since I first found you. When I first saw you all I wanted to do was take care of you. Then I found out how Tripp treated you and I made a promise to myself that if by some miracle you ever showed an interest in me, that I would never ever let that happen. I'd show you every day how much I treasured you and how important you were to me. "he thought for a minute, "I can't believe I almost lost you when I put Stefan first with my job and jeopardized everything we had when I kidnapped Gabi. "he then rolled his eyes, "Then that stupid pact I made with Claire came to light. That damn stupid fight that I caused." He then remorsefully relayed, "It's because of that fight you went to South Africa and when you got back got kidnapped by my sister."
Ciara held both his hands close to her heart, "Maybe I needed that fight to make me realize how much you really meant to me. A wake up call that I almost let the best thing in my life get away." She squeezed his hands, "Baby, I'll never blame you for what happened with Jordan. Jordan was sick and heart breaking as it is she didn't want to get well. She wound up in Bayview and instead of trying to get better for herself and most importantly David, she just couldn't find the will to. You are a living testament that if you want to get better you will. You worked hard and reclaimed your life. That's why I'm proud of you and so are Marlena and Will. And someday our little girl will be to."
Tearing up Ben then answered her, "With you guys supporting me I can't fail. I won't."
He stroked her cheek gently and then leaned in and kissed her lips softly. Ciara placed both of her hands behind his neck pulling him towards her for deeper kisses. She threw her head back slightly as she opened her mouth and felt her husband's tongue inside of it. Ben could feel his wife's finger tips caressing his lower back and then began to kiss her neck passionately. Ciara moved her fingers down to the sides of Ben's hips, lay back and pulled him on top of her. She then straddled her legs around him and pulled his head towards her chest. Ben began kissing her left breast then her right one, letting his fingers find the clasps of her bra and removing it from her warm body. Ciara eased her fingers to his inner thigh and brushing her fingers against his man hood knew he was more than ready to be inside of her. With one hand she felt her way to the waist band of his jogging pants to try and pull them down. Ben could feel his wife's fingers fighting with the elastic of his exercise sweats as he began to get her panties off. As Ciara felt Ben now kissing her stomach, she stifled a loud moan in pleasure and ecstasy once she felt Ben inside of her, afraid she would wake up Bobcat. For a short time, they would be Ben and Ciara again."
An hour later they continued bask in the afterglow of their first time making love since the birth of their first child. Ben caressed Ciara's shoulder tenderly, "I missed showing you how much I love so much."
"We can't let that continue to happen now can we?" Ciara rolled over on her back, "I'd ask for an encore but in a few minutes our chaperone will be up."
"Real world calls I assume?" He leaned in to kiss Ciara, "Usually I pride myself in good not quick but given our circumstances I'd be willing to waive my usual stellar performance. I just miss you so much, Babe."
Ciara licked his bottom lip, "No matter how fast you are, you are always good." She playfully bit his ear and as they began to try and make love again, Ciara pushed Ben away, "Honey we got to stop I can feel my milk starting. "
Before Ben could completely finish dressing they heard the baby start to cry and wake up.
Ben finally got his shirt back on then looked over at Ciara, "Same time tomorrow?"
Ciara laughed, "Tomorrow is Sunday, so maybe we can work an extra in between after her lunch feeding and our own lunch."
"Deal" Ben heard Bobcat cry louder and responded," Coming. Nothing like a hangry customer. I know my tip is at stake." He joked.
As he picked up Bobcat he felt blessed beyond everything he could want. He had her and Ciara in his life. Everything was good. It was smooth sailing. Or so he thought?
Statesville Prison
Eduardo Hernandez looked over at Clyde Weston in their cell completely bewildered.
"What are you doing, Clyde?"
"Getting ready to see my granddaughter for her first Christmas, Eddie. I'm busting out."