AN: Hello my lovelies! I'm sorry it's been a while! I've been kind of going through some real life things. Either way. I applied to go to Uni this year! (Or College) Our first semseter starts in Feb over here so hopefully I hear back from them all soon! Life update over, thank you for the support and the likes! You guys are amazing and my motivation to keep writing! Loves. Without any further delay. Here it goes! From Third person/ Axel, well a short blurb.
Shocked was his reaction to the little girl that ran up to him was the first emotion he had felt. When Axel picked the little girl up he was certain of one thing. He wanted to be her father and dad. The second was how the hell can he accomplish that? Everything in his life had been easy, and anything that seemed to concern Elizabeth was a mountain he had to climb, with no equipment. The fatherly feelings didn't come to him like he thought they would. He had to actively try and put effort into reading the story for Athena. He battled his anger trying to hold it within himself when the child was with him. He could feel Ellies eyes on him the whole time and felt that she was judging everything he had done. When she came into the room though, she glided easily in. Axel felt a slight envy grow in him watching at how naturally being a mother had come to her,
That's because she's had a few extra years to practice!
A snide voice snapped at him in his mind. Anger he couldn't control started to grow through him and they needed to leave before he could explode and scare the little girl. His heart softened at the interaction between mother and daughter. He could tell with a single glance that the pair doted and loved each other deeply.
When they were out of the room it seemed that it was an unwritten agreement that they needed space to talk, or yell. It struck him at how odd this situation was. He didn't even know this woman, yet he was ultimately a business partner and they shared a child. That possibility hadn't ever crossed his mind. He had heard about the Lawson temper, what he didn't expect was that such a tiny thing like Ellie, could hit so hard and scream even louder than her size. He didn't understand her pain or suffering, he had only been thinking about himself. She had been thinking of every aspect, and Axel felt like an ass to see that he hadn't even thought about his daughter in the process of being angry about not being able to see her.
When Axel woke in the morning Ellie was curled into his side. Her eyes puffy and her breathing ragged. She had seemed exerted completely. He felt an affection for her grow in the pit of his stomach and was unsure how to handle it. He'd never spent a night with a woman doing, well, nothing sexual. Something inside him told him this was right though. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and closed his eyes surrendering to sleep and it's growing pull.
~~
It was so warm. My eyes were heavy and content to stay closed, what alarmed me was the very warmth I had been enjoying was moving, breathing and had a heartbeat. I was in arms that circled my waist and swaddled me tightly, feeling comfort I had never felt before. I fought with the logical part of my mind that told me that I was in the arms of a one night stand. Memories slowly flooded into my mind, I sat up quickly and pulled away from the warm arms wrapped around me. I gasped a little and opened my mouth to yell at Axel to get the hell out of my bed when I noticed the door opening. I watched as Athena walked into the room, eyes closed and tears streaming down her face. She let out a misreable sob and I felt my heart lurch at the intensity of her sadness,
"He's gone..." She whimpered.
I looked at the sleeping figure of Axel and wondered how he managed to stay asleep with me pulling away so violently and the crying of my daughter... our daughter. I slipped out of the bed, realising that I was still in my ball gown I scowled at the wrinkles in it but ignored it as I ran toward my baby and scooped her up into my arms hugging and cooing at her,
"You need to be quiet baby," I said softly wiping her face, "Open your eyes" I whispered. She frowned but did as I said. Her eyes lit up so bright that I felt slightly jealous at her excitement but also extremely overjoyed. I put her down and she tiptoed to the side of the bed he was on and looked at him as if he were just an illusion. I walked into my closet and quickly changed into some sweats and a singlet, pulling my hair out of the uncomfortable updo and into a messy bun. I walked out of the room and looked at Athena. She had crawled onto the bed and curled into his side. I felt my heart squeeze and the display and looked at the time to see that it was 5.30am. Sighing to myself I shook my head and walked out of the room, intent to get a start on my day. I first went to the indoor gym to start my workout.
After 45 minutes of intense cardio I left the gym and went upstairs to check on the sleeping pair in my room, only to find that now Axel had his arms wrapped around his daughter. I sucked in a deep breath and then closed the door heading to the kitchen. Upon reaching it I found myself walking into what seemed like an intervention. My family and friends were all sitting around looking at me, as if they knew that I would be here soon, my routine was pretty strict, so I guess it wasn't hard to predict. I knew that I had to get this over and done with and closed my eyes steeling myself for this.
"I will talk as I make breakfast for Thena," I said sternly. I watched the few short nods and began my story, by the time I had finished, Athena's meal was almost plated, I turned around and looked at each and every person.
"Honestly, I didn't know that she would still be awake when he arrived, I didn't know that they had the conversation in the park, and damnit, I wasn't even 100% sure that I was going to tell him. Not after Alexander..." I looked at my mother and father, "After everything we had endured with him, I didn't think I could allow Axel into her life. Not when he associates with someone that threatens the very foundation of our family." I shuddered as dark memories threatened to spill into my mind but pushed them back like I always did when this happened. I took a deep breath. I looked at Cindy and she gave me a weak smile, rubbing over the place where her father had hit her and wincing.
I chewed my bottom lip. "There's lots that Axel and I need to speak about, but Athena is already so attached to him..." I whispered, my emotions once again warring with themselves.
"I want nothing more than to tell him that they can't see each other, but I will never be the type of mother to stop the father of my child from seeing her, not unless he has done something that has warrented it. Honestly, everything that has happened between us has been between us, he has not done anything to prove that he is going to hurt Athena..."
My mother looked up at me with vulnerable eyes, I know that she was relieivng memories I fought to forget, "Are you sure that you want to risk him hurting her though Ell?" My father grumbled his approval and then decided to add onto it, "Not to mention, that if he could treat you this way, what makes you think he's going to treat my grand-baby any different" He huffed.
I folded my arms and cocked an eyebrow at them, "This was before he ever knew about Athena's existence..." I dropped my defensuve stance and brushed a hand roughly through my hair and sighed, "Either way, the way that Athena has taken a liking to him and I watched the way he was with her reading her the book last night..."
My brother opened his mouth to say something when Athena's voice echoed through the entrance hall, "Come come, hurry up Daddy" The four year old demanded. Everyone in the room plastered on an amused smirk as they had all played victim to the morning person that Athena happened to be. We waited patiently knowing her first destination was the kitchen. I finished dishing up Athena's plate and pouring her a hot chocolate when she walked into the kitchen. She let out a gleeful and girlish squeal when she saw everyone was awake and smiling at her. Axel on the otherhand, looked slightly intimidated, sheepish and overwhelmed. I picked up her plate and drink and placed it on the table, "Come, eat Ennie," I said with a smile. She grinned at me and nodded her head dragging Axel along with her. She sat in her chair and stared at him until he sat down too.
There was a tense atmosphere in the air and I gave my family a pointed look before my father and mother got the point. I walked back into the kitchen and began dishing up a plate for Axel and myself, I sighed and tried to ignore the silence,
"Tara," I said in a busniess-like tone, her back straightened as I addressed her and she nodded her head, "Call a meeting for the board of directors for tomorrow, Cindy, you'll need to go into the office and prepare the papers on my desk and call the company lawyer." I turned to look at Hamilton who left with Cindy and Tara. I took the plate to Axel and then looked at Alice,
"I know it was a while ago, but was there a response from Ms. Murn about the comments made at Athena's daycare." She pursed her lips and shook her head, I narrowed my eyes and huffed a little, "Call them again and tell them that if I have to call them myself then there will be trouble." She sighed and nodded knowing the exact type of fury that I could place on a daycare, I'd done it before. I looked at my parents and smiled then I looked at Lyndon, "Shouldn't you be going to work." I said with a raised eye brow. He huffed at me, rolling his eyes and then leaving. My father stood up and whispered into my ear that he needed to speak with me. I nodded my head. I turned to Athena and kissed her forehead, "Good morning baby." I whispered. She smiled at me and then I looked at Axel and nodded my head in his direction. He returned the gesture and left the room with my father,
"Ell, I don't like him being here. Athena is going to get attached to him." I sighed and looked at my father,
"News flash Dad, she's already attached. Athena knows who the constants in her life is and if Axel doesn't turn out to be one of those constants, then we'll cross that bridge when it comes... She can't be sheltered from hurt her whole life. It's a sad unfortunate truth dad, it'll come too soon, but if the only other option is to keep them apart then I will not allow that. He has every right to spend time with her as I do."
I meant every word that I said, but I think somewhere along the lines I had been trying to convince myself how okay I was with the situation we were in. I was trying to convince myself that this was going to turn out. Though there was something stirring inside me, something that told me that there was more to come and something that was going to derail this train we had all started to venture down. I wasn't okay with Axel being around Athena, it was far from okay with me, but I couldn't fight this. I wanted to keep my baby to myself, I didn't want her to hurt, I didn't want to hurt.
I knew something for sure though, that Athena had finally got the father she had wished for, whether he was the person she was expecting was something that all of us were waiting to find out. I also knew that hell hath no fury like a pissed off mother.
It's kind of boring this chapter. Sorry. I have been suffering horribly with writers block, I'm trying to get my groove back.