CLARISSE POV

"There" I caressed Sophie's head. It had been a while since the people had left, and she was finally able to sleep. "There you go, Sophie." I put her in the crib that was in our bedroom and wrapped her in her blankets and made sure she was comfortable and warm.

"Is she asleep?" Chris came out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist and his hair dripping wet.

I nodded as in yes. I let my body fall in bed, and I felt like I was going to sink through it. My body was tensed up, It had probably been one of the worst days ever.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Chris sat beside me and caressed my greasy hair. He knew the guilt from forgetting our older daughter was eating me alive.

"What in the name of Hades were they thinking, Chris?" I closed my eyes and tried to understand how the gods had the courage to just disappear with our daughter like that.

"They were just trying to give Clarissa a better birthday than we were giving her." He tried to explain, as his fingers ran through my face, massaging my cheeks.

"They should've said something. Scared me to death." I sighed and got up.

"I know, I was scared too." He let the towel fall down to the floor and started changing into comfortable pajamas.

"I just…" I started and grabbed on tight to my own hair, "I can't believe we forgot her birthday."

"With Sophie and all the crying, and everything, Clarisse, its impossible not to make mistakes, parents make mistakes all the time." He tried comforting me.

"I wish i could be with Sophie and with Clarissa at the same time." Even though Sophie is smaller and has health problems, Clarissa still needs me, she needs her mom.

"I know, Claire." He said as I undressed and got in the shower, "But she's sleeping now. We'll give her, her present tomorrow."

The thoughts wouldn't leave me alone, I would never forgive myself for this, and I'd care that she did not have an absent mother, like I had. In the shower, I tried not to cry, I tried to think that It wasn't my fault, and that both of them needed me.

"This is a horrible thing to say" I started, while I lied in bed with Chris, with nothing to look at but the darkness of the bedroom, "but, remember how good were the days when we didn't have children?" He looked at me puzzled, "Don't get me wrong, I love Sophie and Clarisse, they are the loves of my life, nothing could ever replace them, but wasn't it simpler and fun when we didn't have the responsibilities of being parents?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"I'm so overwhelmed." I felt tears coming.

I took a moment to remember when I would never cry on Chris's front. I was ashamed, now it was something so normal, I felt so comfortable with him.

He sighed and hugged me.

"We are bad parents" I cried to him, "We forgot our daughter's birthday and then we lost her."

He caressed my cheek, "We are not bad parents." He pulled me closer, "Look at how young we are, Clarisse. You can't expect us to be perfect."

I sniffed, "I still feel bad."

"I do too, but there's nothing we can do about it now."

I nodded and just focused on not letting the tears fall.

"We'll be fine" Chris whispered, "I know we will."

I said nothing.

"Remember when I found you in the Labyrinth?" I suddenly asked him.

He sighed and I couldn't see in the darkness, but I knew he was glaring at me, "Do we really need to talk about that?"

I rubbed my cold feet against his legs, trying to warm them up. "Who was Mary?"

"What? I… I don't know. Clarisse, you know I don't like to talk about that."

"I know, but you kept talking about Mary." I tried to remember, "You were nearly dying but I couldn't help but feel jealous."

"Clarisse, please. I betrayed my friends and family, and joined the dark side, do you really think I want to remember?"

I decided to just shut up, I knew Chris hated talking about it.

After a few minutes, I knew that we were both still awake. Chris crawled up to me and hugged me from behind. I let his body warm mine, and i felt his fingers brush my arm and run down my hips. I giggled softly as It tickled a bit. Chis cupped my breasts with his hands, and I let him but I wasn't in the mood for sex.

"We can't do that now." I laughed and kissed him, "Sophie's in here."

"Yeah but she's a baby, she's asleep and its dark in here."

"I guess, but…"

"I know, you just aren't in the mood." Chris said in quite a rude manner.

I glared.

"We haven't had sex in a while." He told me.

"We can't afford to be so self centered anymore." I told him.

"Soon?" He asked me, caressing my hair.

"Soon." I gently took his hand and gave it a kiss.

There was silence.

"It was a hard and long day, we should sleep." I suggested.

"Agreed." Chris's breath was heavy on my face, and then gave me a long kiss, which I fought not to break away of. It felt so good, kissing him, it got my mind off all our responsibilities for brief seconds.

He backed away gently, wanting to go to sleep, but in desperation, I grabbed on to his shoulders, "No, don't!" It came out louder and weirder than I wanted it to, "Please…" I whispered, placing my hands on his face and bringing it closer to me.

"Clarisse" He started, "I won't."

This conversation was really more intense than it could've been.

He kissed me again, and again, a little piece of heaven came save me from reality.

Chris's tongue slowly moved according to mine, it was warm, and it pleasured me like a night of hot love making would. The perfect description would be Elysium in my mouth. And as we kissed, my arms were around his neck, and he was on top of me, his hands under my back.

"I love you." He told me, as I finally allowed him to break our kiss.

"I love you too." My voice, weak.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Rodriguez."

"Mrs. Clarisse La Rue Rodriguez." I corrected him.

"I know babe." He gave me one last kiss for the night, and turned around.

I put my arm around Chris, spooning him, he turned his head and gave me a kiss on the cheek, and then turned around and held my hand, that was around him. I pulled the covers up with my free hand, and managed to sleep, resting my face on Chris's neck.

I woke up with Sophie on top of my stomach, drooling on my chest.

I opened my eyes alarmed, and then, looking at those big blue eyes, just gazing at me, my expression softened.

"Hey baby" I chanted in a soft voice, "How did come here?" I picked her up gently and comforted her in my arms.

"I put her there." Chris told me.

I glared at him, "Are you insane?" She could've been squished by me, rolled onto, etc.

"Chill mommy." Chris sat beside me, "Guess who drank all her milk today and did not spit one drop?"

I smiled wide and hugged Sophie gently.

"Oh baby, congratulations! Who's my baby? Who is my beautiful baby?" I started playing with Sophie.

I was so happy that she had one meal! It was her first meal, that she actually did not vomit or spit out.

"Her respiration might be getting better." Chris told me, "Her respiratory attacks have been decreasing."

He sat beside me and I looked at him, and then at Sophie. I wanted her to open her eyes, they were so beautiful.

"I think she'll survive, Chris!"

"I know she is." He kissed my cheek.

I smiled at that fact that it was my milk that was making her stronger.

Sophie opened her eyes a bit, coughed and spit out a bit of milk.

I looked at Chris, "We spoke too soon."

"At least she didn't spit out too much." He put his arm around me.

Sophie took a deep breath and then closed her eyes again, I rested my hand on her stomach.

"She'll be okay." Chris ran his hand over her black thin hair.

I heard footsteps and Clarissa appeared, resting her head on the wall.

Her face was red and swollen up, from crying I assumed. Her hair was long and curly, but there was a big cut over her eyebrow, I could tell it had happened hours ago, because the blood had dried up on the deep cut, and around her forehead.

What had happened to her? I started thinking things.

I gasped at the thought I was having and banned it from my mind, it gave me shivers.

A/N: Reviewww pleaseee! Was a boring chap, but we are getting there :] REVIEW PLEASEE!