Title: Yesterday to Tomorrow: Chapter Thirty, Forever and a Day
Rating: R [violence, swearing, nudity]

Summary: Chris and Alyssa visit Seattle and get some time alone.

Previous Chapter Moving Along

Current Chapter Forever and a Day

Next Chapter Smiling Down on You

Wiggling in the bed, Alyssa's toes touched Chris's and she giggled.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I'm just expecting Toni to come in any time and wiggle between us," she replied, fingers splayed on his chest.

"Would be rather difficult to do with her being at my mother's," Chris retorted.

"Exactly why I giggled," Alyssa claimed. "I mean, really, we haven't been without the kids for some time now. And we certainly haven't had a bed to ourself in that time."

Chris kissed the top of her head, "Then I'm glad we came up a couple of days early. I've missed us time too."

"Mmmmm. You sure the band isn't going to be jealous I'm getting Chris time all to myself?"

He chuckled, the rumblings of such tickling Alyssa, "They're more than all right with it, Lyss. Nothing, no one to worry about for a few days. Just you and me."

Moving in the bed, she kissed his mouth sofly, "Then tonight I want to sleep uninterrupted by little girl giggles."

"Do I giggle in my sleep like a girl?"

"Sometimes, love," Alyssa teased and kissed him again before settling her head on his chest. "In fact, let's just stay here tomorrow too. Order room service. Be completely slothful. No bands to work with. No kids to chase. No wedding plans to argue over. Just us and this bed."

"That promises of more than sleeping."

"Oh of course. We've got lots of tv to catch up on," she grinned. "Lots of tv."

"Silly love," his hands rubbed her back softly. "You sleep now. We'll discuss tv tomorrow."


Waking without someone jumping on her was bliss to Alyssa. Moreso when her mode of waking was a soft kiss on her nose followed by kisses on her eyelids. She merely smiled and moved not, letting him wake her in his sweet and gentle way. Blessed she felt laying in that bed with Chris and Chris alone.

"There is no one more beautiful in this world than you," he muttered before his lips touched hers.

"Mmmmm," was her only reply, eyes remaining close.

"And I'm so lucky to wake with you next to me every morning," Chris breathed, his fingers tracing her jawline.

Alyssa opened one eye, verifying Chris was hovering over her before opening the other, "You are a far better alarm clock than anything else. I believe I would always wake on the right side of the bed if I'm woken like that."

He kissed her mouth briefly, "Then I should work on that."

"Yeah. After we get Toni to stay in her own bed," she declared.

"Nevermind that now," Chris replied, hand trailing gently down her throat. "I dreamt of you last night."

"Oh?"

"Oh," he nodded, hand brushing over her breast, a smile on his lips at the thought she was back to sleeping topless again. "But the reality is so much better."

Her hands still tucked under the pillow, Alyssa said nothing as his hands lightly caressed her body awake. Sleepy eyes held his, her teeth biting he bottom lip when he would not kiss her. A sharp intake of breath sounded as his hand wandered over the lace of her panties before travelling up her stomach once more. Only then did Chris kiss her once more.

"Mother would be turning in her grave," Alyssa muttered.

"Let her turn," he replied, his lips wandering over her face once more. "My beautiful love. Forever and a day."

"Mmmmhmmm."

Moving fully over her, Chris rested some of his weight upon Alyssa. She smiled, her hands leaving their exile under the pillow to trace over his muscles. His right hand went back to touching her gently while his lips learned every inch of her face, ears, neck. Giggling lightly, her fingers ran over his waistband and cupped his ass through the fabric.

"Gorgeous," he muttered, leaning up to look down at her once more.

Just as their lips met again, Chris's cell phone rang. For a moment, they tried to ignore it, until he recognized the ringtone. It took Alyssa a few more breaths to know it was his mother.

Leaving her, he moved off the bed to answer the phone, though didn't reach it before it stopped ringing. He was about to dial his mother's number when Alyssa's cell phone went off, same ringtone.

Reaching for the pink cell phone, Chris answered it, "Hello?... Yes, Mom... No, you didn't wake us... I'm sure Alyssa packed it... No, she wouldn't forget something as important as his blankie... Ask Toni. She sometimes likes to hid it... Yes, she is nearly three... Yes, I am aware of that... Okay... Thank you... See you in a few days... Yes, Mom, we'll be safe... Okay, okay... See you then."

Having moved from the bed towards the end of the conversation, Alyssa slipped her arms around Chris from behind. She kissed his shoulder.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. She just hasn't had Toni and Nick at the same time. A little overwhelmed, I guess," he replied, returning Alyssa's phone to the dresser. "Lost his blankie."

"Probably at the foot of his bed," she commented.

"Probably," he turned in her arms. "Where were we?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm hungry now. Order us breakfast?" Alyssa requested before kissing him. "I'm going to take a quick shower."


Laying on her stomach, Alyssa's legs swung in the air. Very rarely would she feel any twitch or anything from the trauma months before. Daily meditations and a return to yoga had helped erase lingering effects. Her only reminder was the scar on her back, though it had faded quite a bit with the help of the monks therapy.

Seeing her laying there, only in her underwear once more, sucking on a strawberry while she flipped casually through a magazine, stilled Chris's heart. For a few minutes, he just watched her, smiling. Slowly moving towards the bed, he leaned over, kissing her scar.

Alyssa giggled, "That tickles, Chris."

"Does it?" he kissed her again, smiling at her laughter.

Standing, he slid the plate off the bed and then pulled the magazine away as well. Not allowing her to turn over, he kissed her scar once more. Alyssa wiggled but soon stopped as his lips moved up her spine. Kissing at the base of her neck a bit longer, his fingers barely touched her warm skin.

A moment later Chris stretched out on the bed next to Alyssa. She turned her face to look into his eyes while his fingers continued to draw on her back. Her body was covered with goosebumps, but her skin was afire. She didn't want him to stopping touching her like he was, even if it meant doing more. It was heaven just feeling the electricity from his light touch.

"How long have we been together? As in a couple?" she asked, eyes drooping close as he continued to draw.

"Six months," Chris answered. "Four months since the bank."

"One month until we're married," Alyssa added.

His lips touched her shoulderblade, "One month until we're married."


For whatever reason, that was how they spent that day, lounging in their underwear, kissing and touching but never crossing the invisible line. Neither could explain it, though later Alyssa would point to that day as the day she knew once and for all that she and Chris were meant to be forever. Some things just transcended sex. They were held together by so much more than that. And both knew the moment they finally follow the course of desire, fireworks would not be an appropriate explanation.

Funny how the final stamp upon their relationship was begun not more than a few blocks from the deli they had met in. Or perhaps that was the cycle of things. New beginnings meant to centre so close, to bind them so close.

Seattle would never be the same.