Thanks for your reviews Kelly & EC Brenway - up to 50 reviews now! Yay!

Kelly - Scenes between Chelly & Aster are always my fave to write so I hope you keep enjoy reading them!

EC - Elly's gotta be full of bold moves to get what she wants right? Pierce's plans to get Chloe away from Elly? He sure doesn't want "his Chloe" near the competition but he might have something else to get between them...

The Chemistry In Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Monday 9th December 2024

Chloe walked with Pierce back to their house after Pierce had found her spending time with Elly and Aster at Harold's Café. Chloe having forgotten that it was their wedding anniversary and upsetting her husband at knowing she'd forgotten.

The couple were only a couple streets away from Ramsay Street. Chloe had been working herself up to apologizing to her husband once more for not remembering their anniversary was that day.

"Pierce, I'm so sorry I forgot today's our anniversary. I genuinely thought the 9th December was next week. I don't know where time is going at the moment. I swear it'll be Christmas soon and I might just wake up thinking it's a regular day of the week. My head is just all over the place at the moment and I haven't been with it the past few weeks," Chloe admitted.

"Does this have anything to do with Elly returning with Aster and the amount of time you've been spending with them?" Pierce asked outright.

Chloe shook her head, "No, I was feeling this way for a week or so before I bumped into Elly and Aster, I just didn't know how to bring it up with you. I'd prefer to talk about it another time though, as it's our anniversary and we need to focus on us. I really want to make it up to you that I forgot it was today…four years ago we got married. I'll make us a nice meal and we can curl up on the couch after dinner and just talk about…our life together…where we'd like to be in the future."

"Or…how about something better for our anniversary?" Pierce announced as they rounded the corner onto Ramsay Street, then turned around to see the look on Chloe's face, knowing he was about to surprise her.

Chloe opened her mouth in surprise, just as Pierce had anticipated, "What is this?"

"Our ride to the city for a private dinner tonight on the rooftop of one of the swankiest buildings followed by a concert just for the two of us by your favourite band," Pierce enthused.

Chloe didn't bother to check if Pierce did indeed know whom her favourite band was, already embarrassed at forgetting their anniversary, she didn't want to further embarrass her husband if he got it wrong and make him go scrambling to fix it, "On a helicopter…parked in the middle of Ramsay Street?"

"We sure are," Pierce smiled wildly at his wife, wanting to remind his wife just what their life together could be, knowing the helicopter transport was one way of many to show Chloe.

"Isn't this helicopter a bit…in the way? Is it even legal to park it here? What if the neighbours complain?" Chloe questioned.

Pierce stepped up in front of Chloe, "Yeah, we're probably breaking some laws here but it's a fine worth paying for and the helicopter ain't gonna be here for long so what do you say we get the pilot to rev this thing up and get the engine started, jump on board and get our anniversary underway?"

"And is the helicopter going to bring us home tonight?" Chloe wondered.

Pierce took Chloe's hands in his, "I got us a hotel for the evening in the city, I want to celebrate how happy you've made me the last four years, how happy we've both made each other, and I want us to…"

"Start trying for a baby?" Chloe realized.

"I think it's time to start trying again, Chloe," Pierce whispered, before leaning forwards and bringing Chloe into a deep kiss, "I want us to have everything together. We have the perfect marriage. We have a solid investment in the hotel that you don't ever need to worry about your future. We have an amazing house near half your family. Kids is what we've always wanted. You might live on a different timeline to most but we can do this. We can be parents to an amazing child or…children. I want us to start this future together soon…tonight if you want. Don't you want the same thing as I do, Chloe?"

Chloe stood there staring at her husband, wondering if she really did want everything with him. As she kissed him back again, Chloe hoped the feeling of being safe in his arms was really how she truly felt about her husband.

Or do I want everything with Elly? And Aster? I can't even begin to think of such a thing…a life of wanting everything with Elly and Aster…it has to be Pierce…

"So…what'd you say to him?" Elly asked Chloe the following day with trepidation as Chloe was recounting her conversation with Pierce that had occurred after Chloe and Pierce had left Elly and Aster at Harold's Café.

Chloe watched as Elly was sparring with Hetty as they hung out at the fitness center before their class Chloe was going to take shortly, before shrugging, "Pretty much just nodded then got on the helicopter to spend a classy night out with my husband. Turned out to be a…really nice anniversary evening together once we got over that I forgot it was our anniversary. Pierce knows how to give me a perfect evening."

Hetty smirked at Chloe's admission of forgetting her anniversary with Pierce before blocking one of Elly's punches, yet rolled her eyes at her friend suggesting her husband gave her the perfect evening.

What'd you expect Chloe to say? That she doesn't want to have everything with Pierce cause she wants it with you? She doesn't even know how you feel about her… Maybe you need to put yourself out there first cause if Pierce is controlling Chloe then she's hardly going to leave him for you if she doesn't know you want to be with her… But then that means coming between Chloe and Pierce and trying to get Chloe to end her marriage and I don't want to be that…non person…that people will always accuse as breaking up a marriage. At least it feels like Chloe didn't commit to Pierce's need to start a family… Also, seriously, I know I've only been doing martial arts for a couple weeks now, but how is Hetty still able to best me…?

What did you want, Elly to give you a reason why I shouldn't want everything with Pierce and want it with her? That's not going to happen…Elly would never want to break up a marriage, nor do so because she doesn't have feelings for you.

"Sounds like it still ended early, Chlo," Elly pointed out, ducking as Hetty tried to punch her, "Or did the helicopter drop you and Pierce back home bright and early before we met up for our run this morning…? Actually, I don't remember hearing a helicopter at all and I'm pretty sure the entire street would've gone off at Pierce for that stunt if it was late at night or early in the morning. I would've enjoyed watching Karl go off at Pierce for it."

Chloe smiled when Elly came close to landing a strike on Hetty but her instructor stopped her once more, "I told Pierce to give the helicopter the flick once it landed in the city for our dinner he'd set up. We got a taxi back home last night."

"So, no fancy night at a swanky hotel?" Elly couldn't help but ask and even more secretly hoped it was because Chloe didn't want to spend a romantic evening with her husband at a hotel.

Chloe shrugged, "Wasn't feeling it last night after dinner, it was a nice meal don't get me wrong but I was just not in the mood. Pierce understood."

Pierce did not understand…

"That's a nice necklace," Elly pointed out, "Anniversary gift from Pierce?"

Or just an everyday present from your billionaire? You wouldn't need to buy Chloe gifts to prove how much she means to you.

"Yep," Chloe answered, reaching her hand out to the necklace, "Also, another reason why we came home last night. I may've lost track of the days but I didn't forget my anniversary was coming up. My present for Pierce was at home and I got so swept up by the surprise helicopter in our street that I jumped on board before getting Pierce's present. Convinced him to take us home last night so he could at least get his anniversary present on our anniversary. He could hardly say no to that."

Don't ask Chloe what she gave Pierce for their anniversary cause you don't care and don't want to know how much she loves Pierce being represented in her gift to him…ooh Hetty's busy distracted and staring at Chloe's necklace which means I can…

Elly ducked and swiped her right leg out, tripping Hetty onto her backside on the training mats. Elly grinned over at Chloe, jumping up and down for a few brief seconds at her excitement at finally getting one over the seasoned martial artist. Elly's grin widened as she watched Chloe staring at her happily.

Elly continued staring at the blonde, feeling so proud of herself for impressing Chloe with her martial arts skills she'd picked up within weeks. Elly was so invested in waiting for Chloe to congratulate her move, that she didn't see the smirk beaming on Chloe's face or that Hetty had stood up behind her.

But Elly soon felt it when Hetty returned the move, tripping Elly to fall flat on her back.

"Ow," Elly moaned, as she overheard Chloe giggling at her misfortune, "You couldn't just let me have that moment of finally beating you, Hetty?"

Hetty stared down at Elly, before reaching out her hand to help to her feet, "You're good but you're not that good. I tried telling Chloe that so I'll tell you too, nobody gets the better of me ever and if you do it lasts less than 5 seconds."

"I've been learning off you and Chloe for a couple weeks, give me 'til the end of the month, I will absolutely take you down, Hetty, and it'll be more than what I just accomplished a moment ago," Elly promised.

Once I figure out how to combine my superpowers with the actual craft of martial arts that doesn't involve me overpowering Hetty too much, thereby proving I'm not human. Anyone figuring that out would be an absolute disaster and no doubt scare Chloe from ever seeing a future with me.

Chloe giggled as she saw Elly pouting, "I'm sure you will, Elly. We done sparring here and ready to start our class?"

"Only if you're done teasing me for getting tripped up on my backside again, Chlo," Elly continued pouting, before watching Chloe turn and head over to the rest of the class whom were waiting for Chloe to start the class.

As Elly started to follow Chloe, Hetty held her back, "If you want me to make you look good in front of Chloe all you gotta do is say the word, Elly."

Elly blushed at the woman, wondering if Hetty truly did see through her feelings for Chloe after only spending a handful of hours with the pair.

Hetty watched Elly's silence in deciphering what she meant, "We both know Chloe deserves better than Pierce. If you want Chloe to know that person is you, I'll back you to make Chloe realize what she's missing and try to help you look a lot better at martial arts than you are. All you gotta do is say the word."

Elly thought for a few seconds, having Hetty figure out she had feelings for Chloe didn't worry her as much as it could've that it would ever get back to Chloe nor Pierce from the martial arts instructor.

Elly answered Hetty simply, "Word," before walking over to Chloe without looking back at Hetty.

It might not be much, attempting to look good in front of Chloe during these martial arts classes but I can't just keep standing by and watch Chloe's life slip further into Pierce's…I need to make some kind of a move on Chloe…and impressing Chloe with looking good has to be a decent place to start.

Next time - Chelly go shopping for engagement party dresses - sadly not for their own engagement lol! What does Pierce do to stop Chloe buying the perfect dress?