Title: Yesterday to Tomorrow: Chapter Twenty-five, Questions
Rating: R [violence, swearing, nudity]

Summary: Alyssa and Chris have a chat. And then she asks him a very important question.

Previous Chapter Accidents Happen

Current Chapter Questions

Next Chapter Je T'aime

Refusing to speak until they reached home, Alyssa avoided the house and went to the backyard. Slowly making her way out to the grass, she sat down shakily. From behind it probably looked more like she had fallen, but it was purposeful.

Chris jumped when she fell, barely able to hold back from rushing to her. But keeping his pace normal as he approached her, he witnessed her sitting up straight, folding her legs in the lotus position. And therefore he waited a few more moments, realizing what she was doing. Hesitating was a good tactic in the moment.

She knew he was there, felt how close he was. Breathing deeply she pushed aside all of her embarassment and frustration from the store. Ever so slowly she calmed down, became all right again.

"Chris?" she breathed.

He could have heard her whisper from miles away. At her side a moment later, Chris wasn't sure if he should sit or if she wanted him to help her up. In fact he couldn't read her at all then.

"Lyss?"

"Sit with me?" she requested softly, looking up at him.

He immediately sat, facing her, his hands tenatively reaching to hold hers. Alyssa's hands slipped into his, squeezing them gently.

"I know you were just worried about me at the store," she began. "But, love, things like that are going to happen. Accidents happen. But it wasn't that kid's fault. It was an accident. I'm not wholly me yet. But if we don't go out and try to do normal things, I won't get to be normal again, understand?"

Chris nodded, "I know. I just.... I.... I can't really explain it. I...."

She raised his hands to her lips, kissing each, "We need a vacation."

Smiling crookedly, he asked, "And where do you recommend?"

"How long are we going to have the kids?" she countered.

"Vicky was only planning on a week," he answered. "We agreed to shared custody, with me having them most of the time, but since.... We just thought it would be better if she kept the kids for some time. Until we're both ready to have them around most of the time."

"I understand that," Alyssa nodded. "Let's plan a week vacation after the kids go back to Vicky. Then we can see how we stand with everything. Your kids. My dad. Us as a couple."

There was a flash of fear at her last statement, "You question us as a couple?"

She shook her head, "No. Not at all. You're my best friend, Chris. You make me stable and sane and all those things I've searched so long for. We're meant to be together. It's just.... I can't imagine me without you, even as incomplete as I still feel now."

"How can I... how can I help you?"

"Nothing more than what you're already doing, my love," Alyssa replied. "You have taken such good care of me these past months and it amazes me whenever I think about it. I know it's been hard on you. I don't know that I could do what you've done if the roles were reversed."

She paused, "No. I could. Because I kinda have a few times. But that's not the point. The point is.... thank you so much, Chris. You're the reason I'm here today. Even if I still don't feel like me.... I'm getting there. And I couldn't do it without you. I wouldnt' want to do it without you. And I'm sorry I haven't thanked you a million times for it. You have not only helped me live, but you are the reason I've wanted to."

He mimicked her kissing his hands by doing the same of hers, "Alyssa, you smiling is enough thanks for that. There's nothing else I could have done, no other option in my mind. You're too great a part of me to turn my back upon."

"Chris?"

"Yeah."

"Let's get married on the day we met."


Later that evening after they both relaxed some, in the form of a bath together, Alyssa and Chris ventured once more to get bedding for the kids' and their own rooms. Perhaps it was their talk together or the bath or the combination of the two, but whatever the cause, their second shopping trip went without a hitch. And also lead to a night of washing linens. Alyssa was determined to have everything perfect before the kids arrived late the following day. She would sleep when they did.

The dryer's buzzer interrupted her dozing during the movie. Chris tried to get her to stay where she was and sleep some more, but she argued against it, needing to do normal things. He argued that it wasn't normal to do laundry at midnight. But she shrugged it off and headed to the laundry room.

Pulling the Hello Kitty sheets out of the dryer, Alyssa smiled to herself. Things were better, things were good, better than she thought they could be. She didn't mind being so domestic, since it was with Chris. Before she would have crinkled her nose and called someone else to do the work. But she had found a pride in playing housewife, even more so now that she was mobile once more.

There was a great.... calming factor at being in a stable house... and being a part of that stability too. She guessed her childhood could have been called that but her mother's uber-religious attitude put strife into something that didn't need it at all. Sometimes Alyssa wondered if that's why she was an only child, if her mother's virtue was more important than progeny.

But now wasn't the time to wonder of that. It made no difference anyways. Alyssa would certainly have kids with Chris. Sex certainly wasn't a sin in her mind. Which lead to her wondering why she and Chris hadn't jumped that boundary yet. They'd lived together for months now. Granted her not having feeling below her waist was a big thing to get around... but even before then they'd not really come close. They shared a bed. They shared a bath. But they never touched sexually.

She would have to remedy that soon. Or go insane wondering why they hadn't.

"Chris?" she asked as she neared the living room. "You think you could help me?"

"Sure, Lyss," he stood immediately. "What with?"

"Well one, getting upstairs. And two, making Toni's new bed," Alyssa answered, holding the pile of warm sheets out to him.

He accepted the sheets, following a few steps behind her. She felt his eyes and his presence so close behind her, ever ready to catch her should her legs give out and send her tumbling backwards down the stairs. So far, so good.

Reaching the top of the staircase, Alyssa giggled triumphantly, "If only we could remember the days we first learned to walk. I bet it felt as great as this."

Chris chuckled, "Learn to read the kids' minds and then you'll know."

"Already working on that," she teased. "Hey can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," he replied instantly, following her into Toni's room.

"Why haven't we had sex?"