Dr. Lilith Sternin
06-08-2002, 11:55 AM
Okay, here's chapter one of the fic my friend Lexie and I have been working on. We have evil things in store, so tell us what you think. Chapter 5 of my other fic, Lost In Silence, should be done by this evening.
Feedback is cherished.
A Bleeding Heart.
by Bethany and Lexie
Chapter One.
The sound of laughter from the distance filled my ears, as the small child, covered in sand, climbed atop my lap. "Mummy... mummy." Her face drenched in tears as she looked up at me with those big, baby blue eyes. "What is it, darling?"
"Freddie...sand..." It was hard to make out what she had said behind her whimpering. From what I could gather, she was distraught over her favorite rose-pink two piece being anything but sparkling clean. I carefully brushed the sand from her bathing suit, kissed the top of her head, and sent her on her way. A smile crept to my cheeks as I watched my baby tiptoe off to her brother and sister, all playing happily together, building sand castles by the shore. It was like a picture out of a fairy tale. And that's just what my life had become -- nothing short of a fairy tale. I had everything I could wish for in life -- a beautiful family, a wonderful marriage, a fulfilling job. It was almost frightening. It was almost too good to be true, and that scared me. Nothing is perfect, so why did my life suddenly deceive me so? It was a question I forced myself not to dwell over. I planned to savor every moment of it, because learned from past experience -- nothing is forever.
I watched my children intently. As I looked at them, I could remember the first time I held each of them in my arms. The first time I counted their little fingers and toes. The first time I brought them home from the hospital. The impact each one has had on my life from the moment I laid eyes on them. Each one so different from the other, yet all such a huge part of me.
Frederick. My first born. My son. He was the spitting image of his father. No doubt about it. The only apparent thing he had inherited from me were those brown eyes. Otherwise, he was his father through and through. He was everything one could ever hope for in a son and more. So responsible, independent. He reminded me every day he would soon hit that special number and officially be a teenager. I wouldn't hear of it. Thirteen or not, he would always be my baby boy. As I watched him with his sisters, it made my heart ache seeing his devotion to them.
Then there was Alexis. With her long, raven tresses much like mine, she had the face of her father. Unfortunately, that was the end of that gene pool where she was concerned. Whether God decided to give me a taste of my own medicine was up for grabs. At nine years old, she had already learned to choose her words wisely and sometimes a little too harshly, especially when directed towards me. She had already hit that know-it-all, rebelleous phase, and I almost feared the day she hit puberty. All in all, she was a very serious child, and in many ways reminded me of myself as a child. She had, after all, been born into a very unfortunate situation. She was the last and final straw to mine and Frasier's marriage all those years ago. Spending most of her early years without a father figure, other than yearly holiday visits. I often wondered if that played a big part in her accepting too much responsibility prematurely, knowing all too well what it is like growing up fatherless. In fact, when Bethany was first born, she nearly overthrew me, and resumed my title as mother.
Bethany. My baby. The tie that bound our family together. I smiled as I saw her giggling endlessly while Lexie tickled her, only moments after her life or death scenario with the sand. That was my little girl. The complete reverse of her sister. Those big blue eyes and blonde curly locks, she was the lighter version of me. My face was about as much as she got from me, from what I could tell thus far. She was not even three, of course. Her overly dominant traits at this point were none of my doing, however. I could already sense traits of obsessive compulsive behavior, much like her Uncle Niles. The bathing suit scenario was nothing. I go through worse with her every day. I hope I'm not near the day she learns the true definition of dirt. These little scenarios always proved to be quite comical, however, being she is quite the little ham. Her charismatic personality reminded me of Frasier every time I looked at her. Those expressions. The melodrama. She was her father's daughter. And she really was her father's daughter. His little princess. He spoiled her rotten. She was a happy child, spoiled and dotted on by every member of our family. She, in a way, symbolizes the reunion of our family. She brought us all back together. After she was born, Frasier and I remarried, and we were all a family once again.
I watched as Frederick held Bethany above the water lifting her over each tiny new wave that laped the shore. She giggled wildly and kicked out with her legs, trying to splash the frothy surface. Alexis was hovering sullenly over a rock pool swirling the warm water with her hands. I felt a presence behind me and smiled widely as two strong arms circled my waist, and soft lips kissed the back of my neck.
"I've missed you." Frasier whispered gently in my ear.
"You saw me before you went to the store." I teased, turning to face him and kissing him more passionately.
"Yes, but was nearly a whole hour ago. And a very long," he kissed me again, "and lonely hour it has been." I laughed as he suddenly dropped the bag he was holding, picked me up and held me so tight against him, I could hardly breathe. Then, as quickly as he had lifted me up, he set me down, right down, until my body was lying in the soft, warm sand and he had put his arms either side of me and leaned down until our faces were just inches apart. He gazed intently at my face, the passion running between us was such that, had the children not been so near, we would have made love then and there. Instead he settled for kissing me tenderly and running his hands
through my now sandy hair. Finally we pulled apart and he looked deeply into my eyes.
"I love you."
"I love you too." He kissed me again before sitting up and pulling me to him so that I lay in his arms like a child. Speaking of which.
"Daddy!" Bethany was the first to notice Frasier had arrived and leapt from Freddie's grip to come waddling up the beach, like a manic penguin. Frederick and Alexis ran to. When she finally reached us Bethany was bright red and out of breath but she threw herself at him and he caught her in his arms and sat her down next to me.
"Come here you." He said affectionately and tickled her wildly for a moment before pulling her into a tight hug. She squealed and chortled with delight. Alexis came up and set down next to us, leaning on Frasier's right side. She said nothing, but snuggled into the arm he wrapped around her.
"Hey dad." Fredrick walked up sheepishly, and smiled at us huddled together before sitting next to me.
"I'm hungry." Bethany whined, stretching out her hand to the bag Frasier had brought with him.
"Well then, let's eat." Frasier smiled and handed out the contents of the bag. Some sandwiches and fruit from the store and cake fresh from the bakery on the water front. We talked and laughed while we ate, the children finally feeling sufficiently refreshed to resume their games next to the ocean.
I sat quietly for a long time staring at the children as they played, each doing their own thing or sometimes playing together as a two or three. Frasier's arms still held me close and I rested my head on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly, nuzzling my hair. Again I smiled and turned to face him kissing him on the cheek.
"Mmmmmmm." I curled up tightly in his embrace.
"Perfect." I answered quietly as the glowing red sun set slowly beyond the horizon.
Feedback is cherished.
A Bleeding Heart.
by Bethany and Lexie
Chapter One.
The sound of laughter from the distance filled my ears, as the small child, covered in sand, climbed atop my lap. "Mummy... mummy." Her face drenched in tears as she looked up at me with those big, baby blue eyes. "What is it, darling?"
"Freddie...sand..." It was hard to make out what she had said behind her whimpering. From what I could gather, she was distraught over her favorite rose-pink two piece being anything but sparkling clean. I carefully brushed the sand from her bathing suit, kissed the top of her head, and sent her on her way. A smile crept to my cheeks as I watched my baby tiptoe off to her brother and sister, all playing happily together, building sand castles by the shore. It was like a picture out of a fairy tale. And that's just what my life had become -- nothing short of a fairy tale. I had everything I could wish for in life -- a beautiful family, a wonderful marriage, a fulfilling job. It was almost frightening. It was almost too good to be true, and that scared me. Nothing is perfect, so why did my life suddenly deceive me so? It was a question I forced myself not to dwell over. I planned to savor every moment of it, because learned from past experience -- nothing is forever.
I watched my children intently. As I looked at them, I could remember the first time I held each of them in my arms. The first time I counted their little fingers and toes. The first time I brought them home from the hospital. The impact each one has had on my life from the moment I laid eyes on them. Each one so different from the other, yet all such a huge part of me.
Frederick. My first born. My son. He was the spitting image of his father. No doubt about it. The only apparent thing he had inherited from me were those brown eyes. Otherwise, he was his father through and through. He was everything one could ever hope for in a son and more. So responsible, independent. He reminded me every day he would soon hit that special number and officially be a teenager. I wouldn't hear of it. Thirteen or not, he would always be my baby boy. As I watched him with his sisters, it made my heart ache seeing his devotion to them.
Then there was Alexis. With her long, raven tresses much like mine, she had the face of her father. Unfortunately, that was the end of that gene pool where she was concerned. Whether God decided to give me a taste of my own medicine was up for grabs. At nine years old, she had already learned to choose her words wisely and sometimes a little too harshly, especially when directed towards me. She had already hit that know-it-all, rebelleous phase, and I almost feared the day she hit puberty. All in all, she was a very serious child, and in many ways reminded me of myself as a child. She had, after all, been born into a very unfortunate situation. She was the last and final straw to mine and Frasier's marriage all those years ago. Spending most of her early years without a father figure, other than yearly holiday visits. I often wondered if that played a big part in her accepting too much responsibility prematurely, knowing all too well what it is like growing up fatherless. In fact, when Bethany was first born, she nearly overthrew me, and resumed my title as mother.
Bethany. My baby. The tie that bound our family together. I smiled as I saw her giggling endlessly while Lexie tickled her, only moments after her life or death scenario with the sand. That was my little girl. The complete reverse of her sister. Those big blue eyes and blonde curly locks, she was the lighter version of me. My face was about as much as she got from me, from what I could tell thus far. She was not even three, of course. Her overly dominant traits at this point were none of my doing, however. I could already sense traits of obsessive compulsive behavior, much like her Uncle Niles. The bathing suit scenario was nothing. I go through worse with her every day. I hope I'm not near the day she learns the true definition of dirt. These little scenarios always proved to be quite comical, however, being she is quite the little ham. Her charismatic personality reminded me of Frasier every time I looked at her. Those expressions. The melodrama. She was her father's daughter. And she really was her father's daughter. His little princess. He spoiled her rotten. She was a happy child, spoiled and dotted on by every member of our family. She, in a way, symbolizes the reunion of our family. She brought us all back together. After she was born, Frasier and I remarried, and we were all a family once again.
I watched as Frederick held Bethany above the water lifting her over each tiny new wave that laped the shore. She giggled wildly and kicked out with her legs, trying to splash the frothy surface. Alexis was hovering sullenly over a rock pool swirling the warm water with her hands. I felt a presence behind me and smiled widely as two strong arms circled my waist, and soft lips kissed the back of my neck.
"I've missed you." Frasier whispered gently in my ear.
"You saw me before you went to the store." I teased, turning to face him and kissing him more passionately.
"Yes, but was nearly a whole hour ago. And a very long," he kissed me again, "and lonely hour it has been." I laughed as he suddenly dropped the bag he was holding, picked me up and held me so tight against him, I could hardly breathe. Then, as quickly as he had lifted me up, he set me down, right down, until my body was lying in the soft, warm sand and he had put his arms either side of me and leaned down until our faces were just inches apart. He gazed intently at my face, the passion running between us was such that, had the children not been so near, we would have made love then and there. Instead he settled for kissing me tenderly and running his hands
through my now sandy hair. Finally we pulled apart and he looked deeply into my eyes.
"I love you."
"I love you too." He kissed me again before sitting up and pulling me to him so that I lay in his arms like a child. Speaking of which.
"Daddy!" Bethany was the first to notice Frasier had arrived and leapt from Freddie's grip to come waddling up the beach, like a manic penguin. Frederick and Alexis ran to. When she finally reached us Bethany was bright red and out of breath but she threw herself at him and he caught her in his arms and sat her down next to me.
"Come here you." He said affectionately and tickled her wildly for a moment before pulling her into a tight hug. She squealed and chortled with delight. Alexis came up and set down next to us, leaning on Frasier's right side. She said nothing, but snuggled into the arm he wrapped around her.
"Hey dad." Fredrick walked up sheepishly, and smiled at us huddled together before sitting next to me.
"I'm hungry." Bethany whined, stretching out her hand to the bag Frasier had brought with him.
"Well then, let's eat." Frasier smiled and handed out the contents of the bag. Some sandwiches and fruit from the store and cake fresh from the bakery on the water front. We talked and laughed while we ate, the children finally feeling sufficiently refreshed to resume their games next to the ocean.
I sat quietly for a long time staring at the children as they played, each doing their own thing or sometimes playing together as a two or three. Frasier's arms still held me close and I rested my head on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly, nuzzling my hair. Again I smiled and turned to face him kissing him on the cheek.
"Mmmmmmm." I curled up tightly in his embrace.
"Perfect." I answered quietly as the glowing red sun set slowly beyond the horizon.