Title: Yesterday to Tomorrow: Chapter Fifty-six, Protective
Rating: NC-17 [violence, swearing, nudity, sexual situations]

Summary: Family moments become wedding planning moments.

Previous Chapter Aftermath

Current Chapter Protective

Next Chapter Family

Getting Nick into his high chair and Toni up into her booster, Chris returned to the living room for Alyssa. She was standing, her knuckles white as she clutched the arm of the couch. Moving up behind her, he touched her back softly. She inhaled sharply.

"Chris...." she muttered. "This cannot be happening now."

"It's just a... everything will be all right in the morning," he proclaimed. "We'll take a bath once the kids are in bed. Do some of the relaxation things. Everything will be all right in the morning."

She nodded, letting his arms slip around her and help her stand fully, "Is Lily here yet?"

"No. I think I was told around eight tonight," he answered, kissing her shoulder softly. "You think you'll make it to the table all right?"

"Put your arm around me," she instructed. "Just in case."

Without so much of a pause, his arm looped around her waist. Slowly Alyssa stood to her full height, trying to not need to lean on Chris. Taking a few steps, she inhaled sharply, feeling sharp pains shoot through her leg. Chris's hand reached across his body to hold hers, her fingers clutching his for a minute. With a shuffle, they headed to where the kids waited.

Releasing Alyssa when they neared the table, he watched her carefully sit in a chair and smile brightly to the kids. Moving to sit across from her, he ruffled Toni's hair as he passed her, causing the little girl to giggle.

As Chris wasn't a cook at all, Alyssa had thrown things in the freezer he could actually handle. Things like frozen pizza, which was precisely what was on the table that moment. Cutting a slice into small pieces, Alyssa set the plate in front of Toni. Chris was focused on Nick and his little fingers attempting to chase the small pieces of food around the tray of his high chair.

Toni babbled about all sorts of things as they ate. From the colour of butterflies to how she wanted a pony just like the ones Lily had.

"Mommy?" her eyes suddenly focused on Alyssa.

"Yes, sweetpea?" she replied, looking at the girl over the edge of her glass of water.

"You get you princess dress?" she asked.

"Not yet. We'll go get it in a day," she answered. "And find you shoes."

"Dada?" her eyes turned to him. "Mommy beautiful princess."

Chris's sparkling eyes turned from his daughter to his fiancee and he replied, "Yes, she is. I'm sure her dress will make her even more beautiful."

"Lyss-Lyss stay forever right?"

He looked back to Toni, "Yes she will."

The little girl was probably going to say something else. Instead she erupted into a fit of giggles as Nick flipped applesauce at Alyssa. Struggling to not laugh as she wiped the fruit from her hair, she watched as Chris took the spoon from Nick, explaining to the little boy that it was bad to do such things, though his eyes glittered in humour.

"I think we need ice cream for dessert," Alyssa declared.

"ICE CREAM!" Toni exclaimed, wiggling in her chair.

"Should we wait for Lily?" she asked, pushing her chair back to retrieve a wash cloth for Chris.

"She should be here by the time we're cleaned up," he responded, trying to not flinch when it took Alyssa two attempts to stand.

Toni slid out of her chair somehow. And hurried to the sink before Alyssa reached it, pushing her little stepping stool in front of the sink. Scrambling up, she reached for the washcloth but couldn't reach the faucet to turn on the water.

"I help Mommy," she declared, standing on her toes, stretching for the faucet.

Reaching the sink, Alyssa turned the water on, "Thank you so much, Toni."

Ringing the wet cloth out slightly, the little girl hurried off her stool and ran the cloth over to Chris. Turning, Alyssa leaned against the counter, smiling crookedly as the little girl helped her father.

A few moments later the doorbell rang. Chris's eyes snapped to Alyssa. Both knew he couldn't answer it, as part of the agreement was no interaction between himself and Susan. But Chris also didn't want Alyssa walking all that distance alone.

However she mouthed 'I'm fine' to him and slowly headed from the kitchen. Finishing up with Nick, Chris set the younger child on the tiled floor while Toni stretched to reach plates to take to the sink. Focusing on cleaning up before his daughter dropped the dishes all over the floor, Chris didn't notice Nick toddle off to find Alyssa.

"Mama," he declared, hands in the air when he reached her.

Without even a thought, Alyssa bent over to pick up the young boy. She felt a twitch in her hips, but didn't show it as she stood once more.

"Seems you've fallen quite easily into the mom role here," Susan commented, glancing pass Alyssa into the house. "Which doesn't surprise me too much. You were always good with Lily."

"Thank you," she replied, receiving a hug from Lily as she entered the house. "Lily is certainly a joy."

"The only good thing to come of Ch—"

Alyssa glared at her, "He does not speak ill of you in front of her. You would be wise to do the same."

Susana stared at her for a moment, never seeing such a streak in Alyssa before, not in the ten years she had known the young woman. Blinking harshly, she finally nodded.

"I'll drop Lily off in tw—"

"Actually," Susan interrupted, "I was thinking she could stay with you until the wedding. I'm sure she would love to help with whatever she can."

Alyssa didn't even consider it for a moment, feeling the girl's big eyes turned up to look at her, "Of course she can."

Lily grinned, "YES! I'll help with Toni and Nick and and and..."

Glancing down at her, she smiled, "I don't doubt I'll need your help. There's lots still to do."



After kissing each of his three kids goodnight, Chris headed to the bedroom he shared with Alyssa. With a deep breath he entered the room, closing the door behind him. He could hear water running in the bathroom, knowing without a doubt Alyssa was sitting on the edge, waiting. He smiled slightly, though concern still furrowed his brow. Stepping to the bathroom, he stopped, leaning on the doorframe.

"Kids are all nestled sound in their beds. Had to read stories to Toni and Nick, with Lily's help of course," he smiled. "It's good to have her around. She's a very good big sister."

"That she is," Alyssa looked up from the tub's edge, smiling at him. "Bath?"

He nodded, "Let me see you first."

Alyssa only hesitated a moment, because she too wanted to know if he saw anything different. Standing, her legs shaking less than before, her eyes remained on his. Approaching her, his hands went to her naked his. Slowly he turned her, eyes scanning her skin. Stopping her, he looked over her lower back and smiled in relief. No redness, no swelling was evident to eyes that had memorized every part of her body. He continued to turn her. With the hip she fell on facing him, Chris frowned slightly. His fingers brushed over her round hip.

"Bruised," he stated, looking at the purplish tone of her hip. "But otherwise, I think you're all right."

"Only all right?" she teased.

His lips lowered to touch her bare shoulder, "Baby, you know you're beautiful."

"Hmmmm. Maybe," Alyssa replied with a smile on her lips. "Hurry and take your clothes off before the water gets cold."

As Alyssa leaned over to turn off the water, Chris quickly stripped. His arms circled around her waist once more, his lips touching her neck, her shoulder. Still smiling, she leaned back into him for a moment before shifting to step into the tub. His hands remained protectively about her waist, only releasing her as she eased down into the sudsy water. A moment later he joined her and they shifted about in the large tub until they were both comfortable.

"Lily's going to be here until the wedding," Alyssa stated.

Chris grinned, "She told me. I'm really grateful of you doing so much for her, for us."

"Of course, my love," she replied. "I could do nothing else."

His fingers traced up and down her arms, "You want to know something?"

"Sure."

"This last album is not the first time I've written songs for you, about you," Chris claimed."

"Oh really?" her brows arched in amusement. "Pray tell, Mr. Cornell, what else do you sing for me?"

"You really want to know?"

"You brought it up. You bet your bottom you're telling me," she grinned.

"Bet your bottom?"

"Oh nevermind that. Just tell me, Chris."

He held up her hand, separating out her pointer finger, "First there was 'Sweet Euphoria.'"

She shifted in the tub to meet his eyes, "That's song's for me?"

Chris nodded.

Alyssa stared at him, "Seriously?"

He nodded again.

"Chris, you wrote that song when I was eighteen."

"I know."

"When you were married to Susan."

"I know. I wrote it after you moved into the dorms at UCLA and we lost... contact for some time. I didn't really realize it was... me in love with you until sometime after the release of the album. And I certainly never told Susan that. She didn't need to know half the album was for you," he explained.

"Half the album?"

"Sunshower, Moonchild, and Fluttergirl too."

Alyssa shook her head, smiling crookedly, "You dog."

He grinned, "No, not that one. But... actually none for Temple of the Dog."

She rolled her eyes, "Okay, what else?"

Chris shrugged, making waves in the tub, "Those are the only I know for sure. Then I swallowed away my feelings for you, as you were with others."

"And you married Vicky."

"And that."

"Well I never made anything with you in mind," Alyssa declared.

He chuckled, "Except many people crazy."

"Nah, that's never been on purpose. Just a nice side effect," she giggled. "But seriously, those songs were for me?"

"Yeah."

"You should have told me. I would have left Jonathon in a heartbeat for you."

Chris let the words sink in for a moment, "I'm glad you didn't."

"Why's that?"

"I wasn't ready to love you as you ought to be."



Sitting on the floor in the centre of the living room, with most of the furniture pushed to the side, Alyssa looked over her piles. Nick and Toni were napping while Lily helped Alyssa sort through wedding things. Having gone over the guest list one last time, both girls decided it was time to play with seating arrangements. Alyssa was going back and forth between having assigned seating or not. Chris's idea of only assigning those associated with the wedding party was a decent idea. But that still required assigning seating of a little less than one hundred when one factored in Chris's family, Chris's band, everyone.

"What do you think your dad would think about grandma sitting here?" she pointed at a centre round table.

"You and Daddy here?" Lily pointed at another table.

Alyssa nodded, "Yep. Daddy, me, and you kids at this table."

"Grandma would like that," she nodded.

"Okay," she said, placed a dot on the table. "Then just to figure out everyone else."

"I think you might want to wait on that, Lyssa," Chris's voice came from behind her.

Turning where she sat, her eyes went to his, "Why's that?"

He held up an opened envelope, "You need to read this."

"What is it?" she slowly got to her feet and approached him. "A late RSVP?"

"You could say that," Chris held it to her.

Her eyes went to the envelope as her fingers touched the paper, "Who's it from, Chris?"

"Your uncle."

"I don't have an uncle. You know that," she replied.

"Lyssa, with as Catholic as your mother was, do you really think you don't have family?"

Her eyes held his for a long time, "My mother never, ever mentioned any family. I never even knew my grandparents."

"What about your father's family?"

She shook her head, "His parents died when I was very, very little. I don't... I don't remember any aunts and uncles from his family either."

"Lyssa, you need to read this. It won't be easy," Chris proclaimed, glancing down at Lily. "Hey, Lily-bug, I'm going to need your help. You think you can go check on Toni and Nick?"

Nodding the girl got to her feet, seeing the intensity in her father's eyes, "I'll take care of them, Daddy. Just don't mess up our system."

He smiled, "I promise."

Waiting for the girl to leave the room, Alyssa headed over to the couch. Chris was a few steps behind. He slipped onto the cushion next to her, arm draped over the back of the couch, in ready position to hold her if need be.

Her eyes went to his for a moment and she smiled crookedly, "This better not be some ruse to get me to push back the date of our wedding, Chris."

"I promise it's not," he held her gaze. "Nothing of the sort."