Title: Yesterday to Tomorrow: Chapter Twenty-nine, Moving Along
Rating: R [violence, swearing, nudity]

Summary: Alyssa and Chris adjust to having the kids around and start to make plans for their future.

Previous Chapter Insta-family

Current Chapter Moving Along

Next Chapter Forever and a Day

Kicking the blanket off, Chris turned over in bed, laying his head on Alyssa's belly, "So how does it feel?"

"Like any other head on my stomach," she replied.

"No, silly, waking up without a family and going to bed a mother."

She shrugged, her fingers finding his hair, playing with it, "Not really all that different. It's just how the law sees me now. I was their mother in heart the day Vicky placed them in our hands and flew back to France."

"Toni didn't even cry."

"Toni didn't even call her Mom," Alyssa pointed out.

"What did she call her?" his head pivoted to look up at her.

"Vicky."

"Really?"

"Yup."

Chris sighed deeply, "I just don't understand. I thought..."

"I know. Let's not worry of that anymore, love. There's far more important things to think about," she stated.

"Like what?"

"Breaking ground on my dad's cottage. You committing to the tour. Planning our wedding," Alyssa answered.

"Wedding," he smiled again. "Let's just elope."

"Oh I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"You may have had two weddings before, but this is my first, Christopher. I'm getting my fairytale," she argued. "I want it all. The big gown. The crowd of people whose names you don't know. The drunken wedding dance. The cans on the back of the car. All of it."

"Really?"

"No."

He laughed, pulling her hand to his mouth and kissing it, "I love you, Alyssa."

"I love you too, Chris," she breathed. "And the only part I was kidding about is the drunken wedding dance."


"Dada!" Toni squealed, pulling Alyssa's attention away from the general contractor.

Agreeing to his suggestions and then excusing herself, she headed over to Chris, whose legs had a small little imp wrapped around them. Kissing him quickly, she made no moves to pull Toni off his leg, especially since he was grinning.

"How are things going today?" he shielded his eyes and looked over a the construction site.

"Well. Few minor changes, but things are going well," she replied. "And you?"

"We set dates for the tour, finished up the stage set, and put out a few calls for support bands," he replied. "I think by the end of the week everything will be set."

"Good, good. Length of tour?"

"Three months. First show is two weeks after the wedding," he replied. "I think. Maybe three weeks."

"So an October start, December finish?"

Chris nodded, bending over to pull Toni off his leg and blew a raspberry on her exposed belly, "You think it's too long?"

"No. Not at all," she smiled. "Just so as long as we're home for Christmas."

"Absolutely."


Alyssa frowned as Toni's little voice got louder, a scream not unlike her father's stage scream. Chris glanced at her, his eyes pleading for help, receiving a shaking head in response. He needed to learn to deal with them just as well, especially since Nick would hit the age as soon as Toni outgrew it. That and they would hit the road for the new tour in less than three months. Alyssa didn't expect Toni to get better on the tour at all.

Giving into her demands, Chris handed her a cookie. And Alyssa flinched as the toddler left the kitchen with it.

"You shouldn't have done that," she stated.

"Well you weren't helping at all," he replied.

"Because you need to learn to deal with it too," Alyssa countered.

He slid onto a barstool across the counter from her, "Then what did I do wrong?"

"Letting her make decisions are good, but .... well there's just better ways to do it. She knows she doesn't get a cookie before dinner, that's why she doesn't ask me. If she wants a snack, I offer her two choices. Like a piece of apple or banana. Or peanut butter celery or carrots," Alyssa explained. "Give her options, but ones that you want her to make. See what I'm saying?"

"I think so," Chris replied, glancing at his son as Alyssa spooned another mouthful into his mouth.

"She's of the age where she wants to decide things but she still very much wants to please us," she stated, making a face at Nick so he would open his mouth again. "Give her a few options and you can avoid some of the fake tears."

"That's it. That's what did it to me," he sighed. "The tears."

"She doesn't do it too often. Well with me that is. She knows she has you wrapped around her finger," Alyssa smiled at Chris.

He shook his head, "How did you get so wise about this?"

"I took child psychology at UCLA," she replied. "And I spend all day with the kids, Chris. So I've had the time to learn what does and doesn't work."

His green eyes went to the bay window, focusing on someone on a ladder, painting the bungalow, "We'll go up to Seattle next week to get your father. Do you think it will be too much with the kids and him around?"

"No. I'm fully healed, Chris," she pointed out. "And Daddy will have a nurse. So I'm not too worried about it at all."

"If you're sure...."

"I am."


With the kids in bed, Chris returned to the kitchen, slipping into a chair next to Alyssa. His green eyes scanned the papers scattered about in seemingly ordered piles. He picked up one and looked it over. It was as foreign as trying to read a tour map in Cuba. He had no clue what it was all about.

"Lyss?" he returned it to the pile it came from. "What are you doing?"

"Sorting through the last round of bids."

"Bids for what?"

"Our wedding," she replied.

"Ohhhhhhh," he nodded. "And?"

"As soon as you get me your guest list, we can actually get rolling on the plans."

"Guest list?"

Her eyes went to his, "I asked you for it a week ago, Chris."

"You did?" he reached over and drank out of her can of Coke. "I don't recall..."

"After we left Brad's."

"Ohhhhhhh," he took another drink, before setting the can down again. "I'll get that to you by —"

"Tomorrow," Alyssa decided.

"But—"

"Love. I have a father to move into his house, a wedding to plan, a honeymoon to arrange, and a tour to figure out. The least you can do is get me a guest list in a timely fashion," she stated.

"I thought I was in charge of the honeymoon."

Alyssa looked at him, "Can I count on you for that?"

"Of course."

"All right," she said warily. "But it better not be some place close to New York."

"Why?"

"I don't want to start our honeymoon where it's convenient for your tour."