Title: Yesterday to Tomorrow: Chapter Eleven, Where It All Began
Rating: PG-13 [mild swearing]

Summary: Chris and Alyssa head up to Seattle.

Previous Chapter Domus

Current Chapter Where It All Began

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With Nicholas asleep on her belly and Toni playing happily with her toys on the carpet, Alyssa struggled to stay awake. It was rather quiet and serene that afternoon with the kids, and after the day before with clients, she was ready for a nap. If only Toni was. Then she could climb into Chris's bed with the baby monitors set on the beside table and take a nap.

For the past six weeks, Chris would be in the studio from dawn to dusk with the others guys whenever Alyssa had the time for the kids. At first it wasn't like that. He'd come home before Toni's bedtime and see her to bed. But the more into the album the band got, the less time he was able to pull himself away. Alyssa didn't mind wholly, but it had meant turning away some clients she would have rather not. It was easy to rationalize turning down business when the kids would smile or giggle. And it wasn't as if Alyssa needed the money. She just liked her job. Especially as flexible as it was. That was one of the greater perks of being a Hollywood designer. Her reputation was strong enough to set her own hours.

Fighting to keep her eyes open, Alyssa decided maybe if she took Toni to her room, the little girl would find naptime not such a bad thing. As she slowly sat up so as to not wake the baby, she caught the toddler yawning and had to hide her own grin at such a discouvery. That alone meant that Toni reached up for Alyssa, wanting to be carried up to her room. A sleepy child balanced on each hip, she headed up their rooms and put each to bed.

Armed with two baby monitors, she slipped into Chris's room. Without a thought at all, she slid onto the bed, letting his scent envelope her. Moments later she drifted to sleep, a small smile upon her lips.


Finding a sleeping woman in his bed was a fabulous way to end the day. Even more so when she was the woman of his dreams. Grinning, Chris removed his shoes and slinked up alongside Alyssa, laying on his side to watch her for a moment. Seemingly feeling his eyes upon her, her eyes fluttered open and she smiled.

"Hey you," she breathed.

"Hey yourself," he replied, before leaning down to kiss her. "Rough day?"

"Yesterday was," Alyssa answered. "I was so ready for the kids to sleep today. It felt like Toni was never going to lay down for her nap."

Her eyes snapped to the baby monitors and she sat up quickly, "Oh my god. How long have I been sleeping if you're home?"

Chris pulled her back down, "Calm down, love. Not only am I early, but I already checked on the kids before coming to find you. They're both still asleep."

"Oh. Good," she replied, features obviously relieved. "I would hate to be a bad mother to your children and forget them."

He smiled crookedly, hand touching her cheek softly, "Don't worry, Lyss. You're wonderful to the kids. I've been meaning to tell you how much I appreciate all that you've done these past months. For the kids. For me. It's made things much easier to deal with."

Her hand reached up and grasped his, squeezing it gently, "You know I would move the world for you if you needed it."

He kissed her softly, "I do. We're almost done with the albumn. Then I'll be able to show you how much I've appreciated everything."

Alyssa shook her head, "Then you'll be touring, Chris. I know how you guys function."

"And I'm not going anywhere with you," he declared. "You and the kids have to come with me."

"I... I don't know," she looked away. "I mean sure we've been friends forever and sure your divorce from Vicky is seemingly moving smoothly. But... I'm not sure that I'm ready for that kind of statement, Chris. I love you, but I need more of a transition from friend to something more. I dunno..."

"Is that why you still haven't moved in?" he asked.

Alyssa nodded, "It's probably stupid, since I spend more time here than I do at my apartment. But we're still.... so undefined that I don't know...."

"What can I do to prove myself to you?"

She shook her head, "I don't know."

He paused, obviously thinking for the moment, "Let's go up to Seattle. Let's go to where it all began."


Snuggling up against him, Alyssa didn't want to wake up. They'd arrived in Seattle late the night before, sans kids. Just the two of them planned to walk the streets they used to haunt a decade before. She knew Chris was tenative to return to the home where so much happened, good and bad. But she applauded what he was doing, giving them a new beginning by putting the past to bed. And oh what a comfortable bed it was.

As he pulled away from her, moving out of the bed, Alyssa whined, "But I was soooo comfortable."

"You'd rather stay in bed?" he asked, not yet standing.

"With you. Yes," she replied. "Just come back to bed for a little longer. We can do whatever you have planned later."

"Really now?" Chris arched a brow, moving back in the bed towards her, pulling her into his arms. "What if I say I have nothing planned?"

"I'll call that bluff," she declared, closing her eyes again.

"Do you?" he teased, kissing her closed eyes. "Maybe my plan was to lay all day in bed with you, worshipping your every inch."

"Worship away," Alyssa laid back on her back, spreading her arms wide.

He chuckled, moving to kiss her mouth, "As much as I want to, that will wait until the time is perfect. When we are together in that manner it will be perfect."

"Am I not perfect now?" she pouted, opening her eyes to meet his.

His hand brushed over her breast, covered by a shirt she had 'borrowed' the night before, "Absolutely. But we have no cause to rush this. Our life together is still before us. We have eternity to love each other."

"Such sweet words..." Alyssa grinned. "And now there's little chance I'll go back to sleep. So I'm going to shower and then we can go wherever you have planned."


Haunted images danced in Alyssa's eyes when Chris turned the corner. She knew where he was taking her the moment he exited the interstate. She wasn't all that certain it was a good idea. Not at all.

"Do we have to?" she asked softly.

He nodded, "Just because he's mostly incapcitated doesn't mean he's gone, Lyss."

"Yes huh," she argued, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her shirt. "My father died long ago. What's left is a shell of a man."

"Alyssa," Chris warned.

"It's true, Chris," she retorted. "You saw him that time. You know it just as well as I do."

He sighed but chose to not argue further. Instead the car filled with a tense silence. He glanced at her every few minutes, certain she would worry her shirt into nothing at the rate she was going. But Alyssa stopped playing with her hem when they pulled into the nursing home's parking lot. Speechless they remained, their hands joining as they headed to the entrance.

"We're here to see Mr. Howard Morgan," Chris announced at the reception desk.

A young blonde nurse blinked at him for a moment, "Yessir."

Her eyes went to a compute screen as she tapped at her keyboard. Alyssa's palms began to sweat, her nerves obviously rising even more. It had been at least three years since she saw her father, or what was left of him. And she didn't understand why Chris had brought her there then.

"Are you kin?" she asked. "Only kin can visit."

"This is Alyssa Morgan," he claimed, motioning to her with his free hand. "His daughter. I'm the man who'd going to marry her."

Alyssa's eyes went wide at his statement. They had never even discussed that. Immediately she rationalized he was just saying that in order to remain with her when she visited her father, but she had feeling that wasn't entirely the case.

"Ah. Congratulations, Mr. Cornell," the girl replied, a frown in her eyes.

"Thank you. May we have the room now?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," she nodded and buzzed the door. "Mr. Morgan is in room 236."

"Thank you," Chris repeated before pulling Alyssa towards the open door.

Allowing him to lead her down the hall, her wide eyes darted about the halls as they left the elevator. Not once had he spoken to her once they received access. And that was all for the better, she wasn't sure what she would say back.

Stopping outside the door, he squeezed her hand, leaning towards her and kissed her cheek, "Come on, love. It's all right."

She nodded warily, taking the intiative to push the door open, Chris trailing behind her, hands still joined. Her eyes danced quickly around the room, looking for the figure of a man. She froze, Chris bumping into her.

"Daddy?" she muttered.