AN : Here is another chapter ;) I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Disclaimer : I own nothing.

Chapter 5:

During the next hour, Henry waited patiently. He was watching their little baby girl doze off while holding his sleeping wife. He was admiring the beauty and loveliness of the new little woman in his life when she started to cry. The general tried to calm her while still holding Catherine but it was no use… Soon enough, Margot's cries woke up her mother.

Catherine rubbed her eyes tiredly when she met her husband's apologizing stare.

"I'm sorry Catherine, I tried to calm her but…" He tried.

Catherine smiled and decided to mock him a little while she took Margot in her arms. "Not doing such a great job with a baby are you ?"

He smiled, this was is Catherine…the one he fell in love with.

"Well, I must admit there are some progress to make."

"No cheeky answer today ?" She gently said and quirked an eyebrow while putting her daughter at her breast. She was surprised, usually when she made fun of him, he always responded and did the same.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to best my wife and have the last word on this special day." He answered with a mischievous grin.

"Oh ! Is that so ?" She pretended to be outraged and then added with a piercing stare and a smile at the corner of her mouth "Isn't it rather because I've already beaten you?"

He smiled wider "maybe…" and they burst into laughter all the while paying attention not to disturb their princess.

They spent several minutes observing their daughter. The general was completely captivated by the breastfeeding process. It was not the first time he saw this but he was still awed by this action.

His wife noticed him "Five children and he's still amazed by this" she thought.

A little while later they caught each other's gaze and Catherine smiled slightly, it felt so strange to be like that with her husband. It made him remember that with all that had happened he still hadn't given Catherine the gifts. Henry slowly got up and took the bags and the flowers from the bedside table.

When his wife finished to nourish their baby he whispered softly while putting the bag and the flowers beside her on the bed : "Maybe you would like to see this now ?" He stretched out his arms to take Margot.

Catherine smiled timidly, not accustomed at all to this behaviour from her husband and still feeling a bit guilty for lashing out at him earlier. She carefully placed the little girl in her father's arms and looked at them fondly. She had always loved seeing her husband holding their children. It was so rare for her to see such a sight. He had always been a good father to their children when he was home and not abroad on mission… He always wrote them letters and tried to spend as much time as he could with them but he was a very busy man - even when he was in France - and as such he couldn't be there for their children as much as they needed… and they suffered from it, they suffered from his absence. That was the thing that Catherine regretted…

When Henry tore his eyes away from his daughter and met Catherine's gaze, she left her thoughts and returned to the present. She would speak to him about that but now was not the time.

He smiled at her, that bright smile of his, silently reminding her that she had not yet opened the bag.

She returned his smile and took the bag in her lap. A little while later she took out a red velvet box and opened it. She immediately saw the magnificent bracelet inside. She gapped at the beauty of it and cautiously approached her fingers to touch the precious stones.

Henry, on his side didn't miss a moment of her reaction. "Do you like it ?"

"It would be difficult not too… but the flowers would have been enough Henry." She answered.

He tenderly looked at her "Catherine, it's my pleasure to offer you this. After all you gave me, how couldn't I ?" he said referring to their children.

"Well, it couldn't have been possible without you." A flirtatious smile laid itself on her lips while she raised her eyebrows a little. He seductively grinned at her, "We did quite a good job don't you think ?" He looked down at his precious girl, sleeping in his arms.

She nodded, sadly : "They are the only good thing that came out of our marriage." This was a sad thought Catherine often had during their years apart… but she always tried to console herself by thinking that they had, at least, done something right together.

Upon hearing her pained tone and understanding what she was saying, Henry looked up at her: "Catherine, we cannot go back in time. The only thing we can do is move on." He said seriously and came back to a wistful tone: "Besides, we may have grown apart in the last decade but I won't let you say that the time we had before was nothing."

A softer expression regained her face when she thought about their time before everything went wrong. He was right… they had been so happy in their love, at the time nothing could have separated them.

"No" she agreed "it wasn't nothing."

"And it will come back to that Catherine, I promise you. Should it take years, I don't care, I will wait. I won't ever let you go." He said gently but his eyes shone with determination.

Catherine simply stared into her husband's eyes, she didn't know what to respond to that.

They were looking at each other since quite a lot of time when the sleeping baby in Henry's arms moved.

But quickly, her thoughts gained sadness again when she thought about Diane… this wretched woman that drove her apart from her husband… even though now, she believed he was innocent in all this… or at least as innocent as she was.

On his side, Henry saw all these emotions pass over Catherine's features.

"Catherine." He got her out of her thoughts.

"It's going to be better now." He guessed her what she was thinking and reassured her.

She gave him a timid smile and hoped it would indeed be alright… in any case it wouldn't be easy.

/-/-/-/-/

In the afternoon of the next day

Catherine had just been visited by the doctor who said that she was physically fine enough to return home but that she should take it easy.

Henry was now preparing everything so that they could leave while Catherine was sitting and taking care of their daughter.

"Don't forget the blanket Henry" Said Catherine gently as she saw her husband rushing to put everything in place.

"Oh ! Yes, thank you Catherine" He smiled at her and picked up the item he had nearly forgotten.

A few minutes later, when he was sure he hadn't left anything in the room he said "I think it's good, we can leave when you're ready darling."

She smiled at their baby : "Then I am ready."

"Let's go then." He picked up the bag over his shoulder then he took the car seat where Margot was sleeping in.

"Henry, let me carry something."

"Certainly not dear wife, you heard the doctor, you have to take it easy" He smiled at her. He had known that she would never respect that recommendation from the physician right away. Fortunately he was there and would ensure that she didn't overexert herself.

Catherine opened the door for him as both his hands and arms where both busy. He smiled charmingly at her before kissing her cheek "Thank you sweetheart", then he got out of the room and waited for her to do the same.

How was she ever supposed to resist him when he did things like that… she was a desperate case, just his smile was enough to make her knees go weak… she shook her head and left her thoughts before her ever-observing husband noticed anything. She could never let him win her just like that, she wasn't ready.

They walked side by side to their car on the parking lot. Henry had gone to fetch it earlier in the day so that they could leave.

As Henry drove them all back home, he thought : he was soon going to see his children again for the first time in months. He hoped they would not be too upset by the fact that he hadn't sent letters… especially Claude...

Francis was good and patient, his explanation would surely be enough, Elisabeth was abroad for her studies and Charles would be soothed by his explanation but Claude… his hot tempered teenaged girl would need more convincing…

By the time he came out of his thoughts, they arrived home. How he had missed it, and now, he was never going to leave again for so long… that was good news.

He got out of the car and smiled at his wife who took their daughter out while he took care of the bag. She smiled back as he went just beside her. "Shall we ?"

She nodded and they directed themselves towards the door.

Henry pushed it open and went inside with his wife. Not even three seconds before he closed the door, his young boy came running towards them and his eyes widened when he saw him before rushing into his arms and hugging him.

"PAPA !"

"You're back !"

AN : That's it for chapter 5 ! Hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me if you have inspiration for what's coming next that would be really helpful :)

Have a good day, or night ;)

Laura D.