A Fresh Start

by MetusR

A story of a Commander and his daughter getting a fresh start on a new assignment. I'm also going to try and work this one at a T rating.

8. Chapter 8

Part Eight – Chantilly Lace

"Dad, it's kind of weird to put Christmas lights on a palm tree…" I hear my daughter say to me as I try and string some LED Christmas lights around the trunk and up to the palm leaves.

I look over my shoulder at her and grin, she was almost nine now, the irony being her birthday is in just eight days, two days before Christmas. I wink at her as I tell her, "Well, you're right. But where am I going to find a pine tree out in the middle of the pacific?"

I watch as she goes over to the window and rests her chin on her hands and sighs out, "It's not the same without snow."

I finish getting the string over the leaves before I get down from the chair and go over to Cassidy and hug her as I say, "I know sweetheart, but this is where we are going to be living for at least a couple of years."

I hear her sigh and lean her head against my shoulder as she says, "I know Dad… Do you have any idea where you'll go next?"

I sigh and hang my head before I admit, "Honestly, I don't. I go where the Navy says I have to go… I've done everything I can to avoid being put in a position where I have to go into direct combat, but there are limits to what I can and can't do."

She sighs again and looks towards the water from the window before asking, "Is Miss Richelieu going to join us this year? I know you two have been getting a lot closer Dad."

"Are you still okay with me starting to date?" I ask her, she's right ever since Richelieu slept over that one time; we'd been spending more time together, hard to believe that was almost a month and a half ago now, but she hasn't slept over since.

Cassidy is quiet for a moment, turning to look at the picture of Savanna on the mantle between our stockings, the one we hung for Savanna still directly under her picture. I turn to look at her and I can see Cassidy is biting her lip and I tell her, "Cassidy, you can be honest, no matter what. If you're not comfortable with it, then we can figure out what to do."

Cassidy shakes her head and reaches into her pocket and pulls out a crumpled up ball of paper, she takes on a bright blush as she mumbles out, "I know that Santa can't do everything, but this was going to be my first list…"

She hands me the balled up paper and sighs before she says, "I'm going to go upstairs and grab a shower dad before I go to meeting Bouge later."

I nod and pull her into a hug as I say, "Okay Sweetheart, dinner is at six; please try to be home before then."

As I hear her on the stairs, I open the balled up paper and see what she has written down:

Dear Santa,

I've tried to be a good girl this year, even with the change to Dad's job and the move too. I know you can't do somethings, but I'd really like to meet my Mom, she died when I was a baby. But since I know that, that's not going to happen, do you think you could do something for my Dad and Miss Richelieu? I really like Miss Richelieu and if she could be my new Mom, I think both me and my Dad could be really happy.

Cassidy Wolf.

I fold the paper in half and rub my eyes with the back of my hand, it hurt to know that she understood the limits to my abilities, and on one hand, I suspect that she knows the truth about Ol' St. Nick and was just humoring me this year. Doubly so when I think about the wish list I had actually gotten, I had managed to get most of it, even begged and pleaded with a few people stateside to get it for me and send it out on the next supply run.

On one hand, I hated this time of year, it reminded me every year that our family was missing a major part, Savanna. But at the same time, it made me feel great since I was reminded that Savanna was never really gone so long as I had Cassidy around. I sighed and checked my phone, that supply plane should be landing soon.

XXXX

XXXX

By the time I got to the airfield, the plane was on the ground and they were just starting to lower the cargo ramps, I took off my cap and ran a free hand over my head. I needed to talk to Richelieu later I wanted to try and have the real relationship talk with her. I mean we'd been talking about more serious subjects lately, like the kinds of subjects you have with someone when a relationship is getting more serious, but well I'd like to have the exclusive chat with her, I'd like to be able to call her 'my girlfriend' or at the very least be able to publicly display our affections around others than Cassidy or Jean Bart.

"Are you okay Daniel?" I hear a French voice ask, it was a voice that made me feel a little more relaxed, I turned slightly to see over my shoulder and found myself smiling as I saw the reddish-purple eyes framed by strawberry blond hair looking back at me.

"What makes you ask?" I ask her back with a slight smile on my face.

"You were rubbing your head, you tend to do that when something is on your mind." She said back, a smile at the corners of her lips, a slight blush on her cheeks as she added, "It is something I have noticed when watching you."

I stop running my hand over my head and put my cap back on, feeling my cheeks getting a little hot before I clear my throat with a forced cough. I turn my attention back to the plane as the cargo starts coming off of it I put my hand in my pocket and find that letter to Santa that Cassidy had given me before I came here and I take it out again, looking down at it and I sigh. I feel a hand on my shoulder and look back to see Richelieu standing beside me, she looks a little concerned so she asks me, "Does this have anything to do with Cassidy's launch… birthday?"

I give a weak half-smile; it was cutie when Richelieu made little errors like that, I mean for a kansen her launch day is the same as a birthday after all. I give her a shake my head as I say, "No, it's to do with a letter to Santa, and I have a funny feeling it's going to be the last one she writes."

Richelieu tilted her head to the side and asked "I don't understand?"

I sigh to myself and ask, "Which part?"

She blushed and looked down at the folded letter and said, "All of it."

Right, kansen… I smile a little sadly at the folded paper as I fill her in on the idea behind Santa Clause, she nods in understanding before asking me, "You said that this was a draft of the letter she did send, so what is different?"

I unfold the letter and hand it over to her, I watch as her eyes dart across it, reading it very quickly, and her cheeks becoming very, very red as she got to the end. Once she was done reading it, she folded it in half again and handed it back to me as she bit her lower lip before looking like she wanted to say something. After a few moments of silence, she took a deep breath, her mouth opened, but no words came out, when I looked to her I saw her look away quickly, her cheeks still very red. I look down and see her fidgeting with her hands in front of her, part of me felt a bit of fear run down my spine, perhaps Richelieu was feeling like we weren't that compatible after the various talks we had over this last month or so.

We stood in silence a little longer before she finally said to me, "Jean made a comment during the exercise against the Eagle Union that left me unsure on things."

Yeah… that didn't help with the fear running down my spine…

I hear her take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she said, "For the time being, there seems to be some misunderstanding of our relationship…"

She trails off and looks at me, her cheeks getting even redder as she whispers out, "Jean called you my boyfriend…"

Her eyes darted down and she returned to her normal tone and volume as she added, "I didn't correct her, as I myself was unsure of what to correctly call you, aside from Commandant or Daniel."

I laugh, like out and out, doubling over laughing, apparently, I wasn't the only one looking for some clarity as to what we are or are in. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Richelieu fold her arms under her bust, as she says in an irritated tone, "I do not see what is so funny about that Daniel."

I take a few breaths to calm my breathing so I can stop laughing so hard before I put myself upright again and I shake my head as I say, "You're right, nothing you said was funny…"

Her hands slipped to her hips as she said, "Then what was?"

One last breath to center myself before I give her a grin and say, "Because I had been asking myself the very a similar question: What do I call her now, my girlfriend, Cardinal or Richelieu?"

I see her neck and upper visible bust flush brightly to match her cheeks, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times before she looks down at her feet and thinks for a few moments and whispers, "I like one of those better than the others."

I slowly reach out with my left hand to gently brush the back of her right hand, to my surprise her hand moves fast to take hold of mine and lace her fingers through it as she says, "I feel more than happy enough just feeling our close bond together like this, but I am not against the idea of deepening our bond."

I pull her a little closer and use my left hand to brush her right cheek before I kiss her, deeper than I would normally, I usually let her set the pace and depth of the kiss. She kisses back instantly, and honestly, this kiss felt more intense than normal, like neither of us was holding anything back from the other this time. I was a little surprised when she pressed her body against me, normally we would have a little space between us, but this time, well I was able to feel her softness against my front. She let go of my right hand with her left hand to slide it up my back and into my short hair while her right hand started to roam over my back. I took this as a cue to place my right hand on her hip as my left hand slid down her body to her other hip. As my hand traced down her, she moaned during the kiss and pressed harder into it. When my lungs started to protest the need for air I broke the kiss and we placed our foreheads against one another, both of us catching our breath, I could see her eyes sparkling at me as she said, "I am not at the love stage, but I am getting closer, Daniel."

I slide my hands up from her hips to around her waist as I say to her, "I'm getting closer to Richelieu, but I'm not there yet."

We lean back a little, still keeping our bodies pressed against one another as much as we can, God she is so beautiful... she smiles at me and I found my moth moving before my brain could stop it, "Stay with me and Cassidy this holiday, please?"

She blushed brightly again, a smile creeping on her face before she said, "Oui, I will bring by a few changes of clothes later then."

I lean in and kiss her again to stop myself from saying something I know I'm not really ready to leave out in the ether.

XXXX

XXXX

Time flew by; I was impressed with how happy Cassidy had been at the idea of Richelieu staying with us for a few days. I was more surprised by how natural it felt to have her taking part in my home life and how it felt like that gaping hole that was left behind by Savanna's passing seemed like it'd been filled. I knew I was getting close to saying those three little words, but this change in my routine made me want to say them every morning when I got up and saw Richelieu sipping some coffee by the coffee maker.

Or at night when after tucking Cassidy in for the night, I would pass her on our ways to our respective rooms, but it was the night before Cassidy's birthday that saw a real change in everything.

I had just turned out my light when I heard a knock on my bedroom door and I heard her voice whisper, "Daniel? Are you still awake?"

I whisper back a confirmation seconds before I hear my door open and close before the floor squeaks under footfalls as she says, "Daniel…"

I sense something is up and I set up, turning on my lamp and what I see takes my breath away. I saw Richelieu standing beside my bed, in sleepwear that I don't think she intended to be seen by anyone, a baggy white tee-shirt with a blue fleur de lis in the middle of her chest, black loss fitting pants. When she saw me looking her up and down she blushed brightly and fidgeted with her hands looking down at the covers on my bed and I asked, "What's wrong Richelieu?"

She went to speak, but again no words came out and she took a deep breath, keeping her eyes closed as she said, "I would like to wake up next to you… I…"

She bit her lower lip, I had a feeling that she was getting close to saying those words too. I reach over and pull the covers back as I say, "I think I'd like that too."

That seemed to be everything she needed to hear, as she climbed in right away, pulling the covers over her as she scooted over with her back to me and twisting slightly to take my right arm and pulled it across her waist and let out a happy sigh. I slowly take my arm away to turn out the lamp and return to holding her against me. As we lay there, I'll admit I had a hard time falling back to sleep, it'd been so very, very long since I shared my bed with anyone and I was painfully aware that I was now in a position I really wanted to be in, but I knew I couldn't go for more at the moment. As I tried to settle myself down, she asked me again, "Are you still awake?"

"I am." I whisper back to her.

I wasn't sure what to expect, what I do know is that I didn't expect was for her to guide my right hand under her top to her bust as she started to roll and rock her hips against me as she panted out, "I would like to…"

"Are you sure? If we do, this isn't something that can be undone…" I say back to her, I want to, I know I want to.

Richelieu twisted herself around to look at me; even in the dark I could see her eyes as she said to me, "I love you, Daniel, I want to show you how much I do."

I lean over her to kiss her deeply, when that kiss breaks I say back to her, "I love you to Richelieu."

XXXX

XXXX

When I heard my alarm in the morning I felt both rested and exhausted at the same time, the warm mass in front of me groaned a little before she said with that heavy French accent of hers, "Turn it off…"

I reach behind me to turn off my alarm before I go back and kiss her neck as I say, "Sorry, but no rest for a parent."

She teased me back as she said, "But I am not one."

I laugh and press her against me as I tease her back, "True, but you are still naked in my bed…"

Richelieu sat up, letting the covers fall, and twisted herself away so that I could only see her flawless skin on her back, she looks over her right shoulder at me and winks, before turning back around to kiss me deeply. When it breaks she gets out of my bed and heads to the bathroom, a heartbeat later I hear her start going "Non, non, non, non!"

I push the covers back and go to get out of bed to see a slight red stain on the sheets and I tilt my head to the side as I think about last night before I go over to the bathroom door and knock on it as I ask through it, "Richelieu, is everything okay?"

I hear her sigh and ask me, "Do you have any… le tampons in here?"

I blink a couple of times; I hadn't known that kansen could… wait. Does that mean… I carefully ask through the door, "Richelieu… is this, a monthly thing for you?"

"Oui…" she sighs back, adding, "I brought some with me, but they are in the other room…"

Huh… I wonder if that means she could birth a child then… No, now is not the time to think about that…

I toss on my loungewear and head off to the spare room quietly to retrieve the requested item. I move as quietly as I can through the upper floor to get her toiletry bag and slip back to my room, I knock on the door as she cracks it open I hand her the bag as I tell her, "I'll head downstairs, you might want to hurry down too or slip back to the spare room…"

"For Cassidy, oui?" she asks me.

"Yeah, not sure how she'd react to you coming out of my room today…" I sigh out to her as I started to feel guilty.

Richelieu seems to pick up on almost immediately, opening the door and hugging me from behind as she says to me, "Daniel, you do not need to feel bad…"

She paused to kiss the back of my neck as she before adding, "We are both adults, we are in a relationship… and most importantly, we love each other."

I squeeze her hands that are on my chest and I say to her, "Right on all accounts… Still, I can't help it."

She squeezes me tightly as she says, "I understand, but do not let that guilt linger… I will see you downstairs shortly."

When I got downstairs and into the kitchen, my heart leaped into my throat, as sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal in front of her, looking at the entrance to the kitchen was Cassidy, a mischievous smile on her lips as she asked, "So is Miss Richelieu my new Mom?"

It took me a moment to process that, trying to figure out how to answer it, but I needed to stall and I ask her, "What do you mean by that Sweetheart?"

She shrugs before taking a bite of her cereal and telling me, "I got up to get some water last night and I saw Miss Richelieu going into your room…"

Crap.

"Because if she is, that is an awesome birthday present!" she added.

Oh, frack me.

I rub my head with one hand as I go and get some coffee, giving it a sip I still try to figure out how to talk to her about this, my brow knits together before I test the waters with, "No, she's not… but it looks like we are heading in that direction."

"Heading in what direction?" asked Richelieu as she walked into the kitchen.

"I asked Dad if you are my new Mom since I saw you go into his room last night..." Cassidy said back to her.

To Richelieu's credit, she took the question with such grace that I was impressed. I watch as she sat across from Cassidy, putting her hands out to her and Cassidy put her hands in Richelieu's while Richelieu told her, "Non, not yet…"

I saw those reddish-purple pools look to me and sparkle as she said, "But perhaps one day… but more importantly; happy birthday to you Cassidy."

Cassidy grinned at Richelieu as she said, "Thanks!"

Cassidy wolfed down the rest of her cereal then dashed off to the living room for Saturday morning cartoons on her tablet, while Richelieu walked over to me while I still stood at the coffee maker, she faced me and straddled my legs as she kissed me before saying, "It would seem she took it well, non?"

I put my coffee down and place my hands on her hips, touching my forehead to hers as I whisper, "She did… And I mean it from last night, I love you."

"And I you Daniel." She said, wrapping her arms around my neck, adding, "But I think we should limit public displays of affection until we announce things to the base, non?"

I slip my hands from her hips to her stern and give it a little playful squeeze; this causes her to playfully slap my chest and tease, "Daniel if you know what's good for you, I wouldn't assume that a girl is defenseless just because she's in her pajamas."

I laugh as I let my hands move up her back while I whisper in her ear, "You didn't seem to mind last night."

I can feel her cheeks get hot from the proximity of my own while I feel her nails drag down my chest as she whispers back, "Non, but I was not in my pajamas then."

We lean back a little and I wink at her, it's like she reads my mind as she says, "Non, we need to wait a few days."

I sigh and give her one last squeeze before turning back to my coffee as I give off a playful sigh of "Fine…"

She moves to stand beside me, drinking her own cup, leaning her head against my shoulder as she sighs and says to me, "Daniel, our relationship has now put me in a difficult spot, not that I regret getting into it, but…"

"But what, Richelieu?" I ask her, now I was starting to worry that I was a booty call… Not that I'm against that.

She bit her lower lip and said to me, "As the one who leads the Iris Orthodoxy, I have to balance the needs of my followers against mine, against those that I love…"

I slip a hand around her waist, resting it on her hip as I say to her, "Then let us just enjoy what time we do get."

I hear her sigh as she tells me while she looked at Cassidy in the living room, "I feel more than happy enough just feeling our close bond together like this, thank you to both you and Cassidy being by my side."

I kiss the top of her head before I tell her, "Thank you for being willing to have us there."

XXXX

XXXX

A/N: Chapter 8 down, now we are picking up speed towards the ending, I'm aiming for either nine or ten chapters for this one, next up will be my favorite CV girl in game, Intrepid. After her I might either do something with Atago or really stretch my creative muscles and do something with Hipper.

On a personal note, I urge everyone to take time on the 11th of November to remember those that fought, bleed and or gave their lives in conflict over the years. For me personally, this marks the first year I've had Remembrance Day since the passing of my grandfather whom served in the Second World War, from the beaches at Normandy (Juno Beach) right through to the end of the war with the Royal Canadian Army.