"I'm going to stay up all night!" Wendy hopped with enthusiasm.
"Why would you want to do that?" Loke questioned, suspicious his daughter was up to something.
"'Cuz it's New Year's Eve! Becky says that she's going to stay up all night. She says, 'what's the point of a holiday if you don't celebrate it?' She says it's really fun to do the countdown and throw confetti and make noise with noise makers and shoot corks from shampame bottles."
"Well, we don't have any of those things. And it's not healthy for kids to stay up so late. It's something you can do when you're older."
"But I am older! Becky's parents said she could do it, so why can't I? I'll be the only one at school who doesn't!"
Loke contemplated this and its pertinence .The potential for Wendy to earn the stella stars was growing ever more dim such that the most plausible scenario for interactions with the Desmond family would be through friendship. Thus, the need for Wendy to be a popular student rather than an outcast did seem important.
"Ok, you can stay up tonight. Just for the holiday."
"And can we get the confetti and blower-horns and corkbottles?"
Loke sighed. He had been taking on too many side missions lately and was not eager to leave the house on his only night off in more than 2 weeks.
"How about I take Wendy to pick up a few things?" Lucy offered.
"Yay! We're going to have a real party!" Wendy jumped.
Returning from the store, the spread of snacks and holiday goods were set out on the coffee table. As they watched the celebratory programming on the television, video clips were shown of the prior year's celebration, which included images of couples kissing.
Wendy pointed. "Are Mama and Papa going to kiss tonight?"
"Wendy, that's not…", Loke began with an irritated tone.
"Becky says that her parents kiss, and they always kiss on New Year's. Why don't you ever kiss Mama?"
"Wendy…..we're not Becky's family so we don't need to do everything like them."
"You do like Mama, though, right?" Wendy glanced over at Lucy, whose face turned as red as her sweater.
"Wendy, that's nothing you need to concern yourself with." Loke felt the thrumming in his chest start to accelerate. He glanced at Lucy in hopes that she might say something to smooth down the conversation or change topics, but he could not tolerate more than a glance. Given the clear embarrassment on her face, she was likely as dumbfounded as him.
Thankfully, the television provided distraction: the swelling of a start of a new song with a cast of flamboyantly-dressed dancers starting a new routine.
Twice, Wendy fell asleep on the couch, only to wake when Loke tried to pick her up and move her to her bed. She continued to insist on staying up late and watching the celebration on the television. Finally, she fell asleep again, and this time while sitting on her father's lap with her head resting on his chest such that it was easier to move her to her bed without disturbing her.
Returning to the living room with an aim to clean up the mess Wendy had made for the celebration they would no longer be having, Lucy prompted him to sit down. "Oh, relax for once, Loke. I'll clean it up in the morning."
"Are you staying up?"
"It's less than a half hour to the countdown, why not? It was a tradition that my brother and I did for years, but I haven't done it lately. Besides, it's not like we have anything important to do tomorrow that we can't sleep in."
Loke contemplated this. "I suppose it's been a number of years since I last celebrated it. In recent years, I've usually been working…at the hospital."
"Well then, it seems we ought to celebrate. Can I get you a scotch?"
"Uh, sure," Loke said skeptically. He was hesitant since he was worried Lucy might also be inspired to drink, and he was worried about her propensity to get drunk.
"So tell me, what were New Year's celebrations like with your brother?"
"Not much different than what we're doing right now." Lucy smiled without looking up. She turned back to the television screen to watch the acrobats give a grand performance.
Loke continued to sip on his scotch and contemplate how to best make use of his time. With the absence of conversation as well as the opportunity to speak with Lucy without Wendy being present, Loke decided to broach the topic that Wendy had raised earlier.
"Um, Lucy, I think we ought to discuss how we….ought to best be parenting Wendy."
Lucy's demeanor changed to one of alarm. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I realize..…I mean, I know I've probably been indulging her too much lately - like with going to the store to get her all this….needless stuff. I realize that she's your daughter and it's wrong for me to undermine how you're trying to raise her.
Seeing her obvious unease about the topic, Loke changed his strategy. "Oh, there's nothing to apologize for tonight. I don't feel like you're spoiling her. It's more that she…. She seems to have her own ideas of how she wants us to behave, and I don't think it healthy for a child to dictate what her parents do."
Lucy's eyebrows dropped with a sense of confusion. "I'm sorry if I…."
"No, there's nothing you're doing wrong, and I'm not suggesting we do anything differently. I think it might just be helpful for us to explain to Wendy why we're….different from other families."
Lucy nodded though was still clearly uncomfortable, not knowing how to respond. Keeping her eyes low and seeing his glass was mostly empty, she pointed to it. "Um, can I get you another pour of scotch, Loke?"
"Uh, yes, thank you," Loke said though regretted it as soon as he heard Lucy's response.
"Perhaps I'll have a glass myself."
Loke sat quietly and wondered if he should say something to Lucy about the fact that every time he could recall Lucy having an alcoholic beverage, she had gotten herself disturbingly drunk. He tried to relax; perhaps she could demonstrate moderation. And thankfully they were not in a public place where Lucy might embarrass herself.
Sitting down on the couch again, Loke decided to attempt conversation again using more precise language. "Lucy, regarding Wendy's questioning tonight of why we…don't behave like a normal married couple. I know what an unnatural thing it would be to kiss-"
Loke stopped mid-sentence upon seeing Lucy slam her glass of scotch. She then stood up, dashed to the kitchen, picked up the bottle of scotch, and began guzzling.
"Lucy! No! Don't drink it down by all at once!"
"Oh, Loke, I'm so sorry. I know that I make for a pathetic wife! I can barely do anything that a wife ought to do!"
"Lucy, no! You just need to stop drinking!" Loke took the opportunity to seize the half-empty bottle of scotch and set it on top of the refrigerator, out of easy reach. He considered throwing the bottle out the window, but it was awfully good scotch.
With Lucy sobbing into her hands, Loke directed her back to the sitting area. Irritated, he didn't know what else to say except: "No more alcohol for you."
"I'm so sorry, Loke, I'm sush an awful person who does sush awful things."
"You're not an awful person", Loke realized then just how loudly they had been talking and worried about the risk of waking Wendy. He lowered his voice. "You just.…need to stay away from alcohol."
"Ish not the alcohol that makes me sush an awful person, ish because I.…" Lucy had enough wherewithal to stop herself from confessing to him that she was an assassin who had killed countless other people before, slaughtering people as if she were a professional butcher.
"No, Lucy, it's the alcohol. You're a perfectly good person when you're sober. Honestly, you otherwise conduct yourself like a perfect wife."
"The perfeck wife?"
"And a perfect mother too. Wendy has told you herself, '100%'."
Lucy's bottom lip began to quiver, her eyes filling with tears. "And.…you think that's true?"
"Yes, why would I lie to you?" Loke regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. Someday he would have to tell her the truth about all of this, or at least he hoped to. Unable to tolerate his own hatred about lying to her and unable to tolerate the sight of the woman crying, he put his hand around her head and brought her to his chest to hug her. He was surprised how good it felt to have her so close to him.
Lucy was also surprised by how good the hug felt. She pressed her hand behind his back to bring him even closer to her. Her tears found their place on his sweater and her eyes began to dry.
Loke continued to hold her, realizing just how much he had been longing for this, how much he has been suppressing his feelings for her. His heart began to pound with a fear that his emotions might overwhelm him. Cautiously, he bent his head down and left a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Lucy immediately raised her eyes to meet his, surprised by his action. He was not merely trying to shush a sobbing, drunk woman - he was showing her kindness and affection. She stared at his eyes feeling lost in the color of the sea. She recognized that he was staring into her eyes as well, not looking away. Feeling that she was on the verge of drowning, she brought her face up to meet his, her lips seeking his like it was the only air there was to breathe.
Loke was not surprised by the sudden kiss; to him it felt like the natural order of the universe, the laws of physics merely taking their course. What surprised him was how good it felt - no longer needing to hold himself back. The dam had burst and all there was to do was to follow the wave downriver. His mind filled by that sensation, he did not realize that he was actually falling down until his back reached the couch cushion. Lucy was on top of him, her lips devouring him, her hands running through his hair and down his torso.
His mind briefly flitted to a memory from spy training academy, being taught how to seduce a person and needing to practice such techniques on the male course instructor. He had learned the art of seduction and had employed it well in several prior missions. But the only time he had ever been seduced, at least in a physical sense, was during role-play in that class. This was not role-play. This was not going along with it for the sake of the mission. This was pure passion and mutually exchanged.
Lucy had no idea what she was even doing. All she knew was that she had a desperate, insatiable hunger, and Loke was feeding her the ambrosia. All her cravings to be with her pretend-husband were finally being met. Lost in her gluttony, she was surprised by the sensation of his hands on her hips, sliding under the hem of her sweater, reaching towards her waist. She recognized then that this was not just her indulging in a heated fantasy, this was a mutual passion.
Feeling the curves of her hips, he did not recognize just how heated he had become until Lucy pushed his sweater up to run her hands over the skin on his back. The cold air was welcoming, and he followed her suggestion that he remove the sweater.
Her hands soaking in all the exposed skin on his chest and back, Lucy felt like she was beginning to merge into him. Her hips driving into his, she suddenly arched her back and screamed, "OH GOD! YES!"
Loke was shocked to see such a display of pleasure. He had not conceived of the possibility that a woman who was fully clothed could experience such. Her torso collapsed onto his, and he wrapped his arms around her as her heavy breath began to slow. Listening to it, he soon realized that there was someone else breathing in the room.
Loke turned his head to find Wendy wide-eyed looking at her parents. How long had she been standing there? Lucy, realizing that Loke had just turned his attention elsewhere, turned to see what he was looking at and shrieked to see Wendy standing across the coffee table, clinging to her chimera doll. Eager to reverse the damage, Lucy attempted to get off of Loke but merely stumbled and fell onto the floor.
Not knowing who might be the more damaged in that moment, Loke had to peel his eyes away from Wendy to see if Lucy had been hurt. Thankfully, she seemed uninjured and certainly more concerned with the third person who had entered the room. Clearly, she was also trying to fathom what anyone could possibly say to explain the situation.
"Uh, your mother had too much to drink," Loke said, still in a state of shock. He then scooped Lucy off the floor and sat her on the couch, sitting next to her as he contemplated what needed to be said to resolve this most awkward situation. He looked at Lucy hoping she might have the right words to politely and deftly defuse the situation. Lucy merely blushed, her eyes darting between Loke and his daughter.
"Did something happen to your shirt?" Wendy asked, her eyes still wide.
"I, um, I had a glass of scotch, and sometimes that makes me feel overly warm. My sweater was too hot for me." Feeling a sudden need to put it back on, he searched the room with his eyes to find it. Seeing that it had landed on the opposite side of the room on top of a potted plant, he decided to leave it and not draw attention to its unusual placement.
"Oh," Wendy finally blinked. "Is it almost midnight?"
Both parents looked at the television, thankful for there to be another vessel for attention. Programming credits were rolling past the screen. Loke looked at his watch. "Uh, looks like it's already passed."
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Wendy said, her face turning mournful.
"Well, you were so tired…," Loke tried to explain.
"But I wanted to have a party and celebrate!"
"Wendy, how about we celebrate right now!" Lucy smiled. "Here, let'sh get the confetti ready and we'll do the countdown again!"
"Yay! Papa! Go get the shampame to make the cork pop off!"
"No more alcohol for tonight." Loke instead took off his watch, set it on the table for all to see, and picked up a party horn, bringing it to his lips to show that he was ready to get this done.
Watching the second hand on watch-face, they began to count aloud once it got closer to reaching the top dash.
"10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Wendy and Lucy popped their confetti makers in the air while Loke sounded the party horn.
"Yay! Happy New Year!" Wendy jumped up and down and hopped onto Lucy's lap giving her a hug. Lucy gave the girl a kiss on her forehead, but the girl took little notice of this since she realized that she had not yet blown the party horn she had just gotten for the occasion.
Preoccupied with her new toy, she seemed to forget about the presence of her parents.
Lucy, still with a drunken-blush on her face, turned to her husband. It seemed only natural for him to lean in and give her a generous kiss.