Chained Princess

Chapter 11: First Steps

K I A R A ' S P. O. V

Rolling up the familiar slanted driveway, I stared at the large brick house that stood before me, almost haunting, and filled with an array of painful memories mixed in with flickers of happiness and joy.

I once lived here, in this five bedroom house with family living room, huge widespread garden and even roses bedded in the moist soil.

To a stranger, they would never suspect such a dangerous and horrible monster lurks in the shadows, such a man would live in such a beautiful place.

Some days, I wondered what it would be like to live here. Children running across the yard, screaming with joy, as Aaron chased them or the sprinklers accidentally turned on.

He'd crushed that dream, just as he had the strong emitting love I harboured for him.

"Mama," Anastasia whined, struggling against the confines of her car seat.

It had taken a lot to convince my father that this little visit was safe. He was worried that Aaron would kidnap the two of us, or hurt us in some way. I knew Aaron would never go that far. Deep down, I knew.

Alessi had been less willing but once I explained this was merely a civil visit for both Aaron and Anastasia to get to know one another, he seemed a little more at ease with it.

My brothers fought over who should drive me, annoying and painful to watch, until eventually I took the keys and drive myself. I didn't need an escort.

Sighing, I took the keys out of the ignition, and climbed out the large grey Land Rover Kieron had just purchased. I grabbed Stasia from the back, swinging her onto my left hip, whilst simultaneously juggling her changing bag.

It was Louis Vuitton, and surprisingly my dad was the one who bought it for me.

He said, and I quote, "No granddaughter of mine would be walking around with a bright yellow changing bag with a duck plastered onto it."

"Come on baby, mama's got you." She babbled incoherently, letting drool drip all over my loose fitting jumper.

As I walked up the three single stairs that led up to my version of hell, I exhaled a deep breath, before knocking the on the door. The lights in the hallway flicked on and then hurried footsteps rushed to the door.

They were so quick, so nimble, I knew they had to be anyone but Aaron.

"Kiara!" Caitlin bellowed, practically launching herself at me. Laughing, I wrapped an arm around her, and pulling her into a hug.

"Did you miss me?" She pulled back, pouting through her tangle of wild unruly dark locks that hung down her back.

"Yes of course but...you left me Kiara." Me, not Aaron. When I left, Caitlin did flash in my mind. Her giggles, her smiles, the warmth that blossomed inside my heart whenever she cuddled up to me.

In a way, I viewed her as daughter to me too. Having Anastasia, just made me see all the similarities in how I acted with them both.

"I'm so sorry honey, I left for reasons that you'll only be able to understand when you get bigger. Just trust me when I say, I thought it was the right thing." She nodded, her eyes lighting up as they landed on Anastasia.

"Is that the baby?" I couldn't help but laugh at the way she quietly whispered, even though Stasia was awake and staring curiously at Caitlin.

"Yes, that's the baby. Although she's very big now."

"She is big." Caitlin pointed out. "How old is she?"

"Almost two years." My smile grew terse when I noticed the faint lurking of shadows in the background. "Where's your brother?"

"I think he's in the kitchen. He told me that I was an Auntie, then explained what that means. He said that I'll have to take care of her." Flashes of Caitlin and Anastasia playing and talking to each other flashed in my mind.

"When she's older, you'll have to teach her how to be a big girl, but only when she can talk and walk."

"She can't talk or walk yet?" Suddenly Aaron barrelled into the room, his harsh thunderous voice, causing Stasia to burst out screaming.

Caitlin's stumbled backwards in shock or fright, and I struggled to readjust Anastasia in my arms as the bag continued to slip down. Like a knight in shining armour, or previously, my dark knight, Aaron swooped forward and caught the bag before the contents spilt all over the floor.

I now moved freely, placing Anastasia over my shoulder and rubbing soothing circles over her back. She sniffled, her loud sobs slowly subsiding.

"Did I...did I hurt her?" Confusion plagued me at first, until I remembered that Caitlin was holding Anastasia's hand just before the crying fit.

"No, no sweetie, she's just a little dramatic." I spared a glance at Aaron. "Like your brother."

That earned me a high pitched giggle and a sharp glare.

We stood awkwardly for a minute or two, and I just rocked back and forth on my heels, waiting for Aaron to finally invite us in. It wasn't until a working elbowed him in the stomach that it registered.

"Uh, please come in." Manners. I guess we were up to a better start than I thought.

I didn't need him to lead me, but he didn't anyways. Allowing needing to feel the reassurance of his masculinity by taking charge.

Roll of the eyes. Pathetic.

Clearly, from the fluffed up pillows to the faint hoover marks showing up in the plush carpet, he had a cleaner around today. The thought that he was trying to impress me made me smile.

Sitting down, I placed Anastasia on my lap, letting her rest her head firmly against my breasts. I chose to ignore the way Aaron's openly stared at my chest, despite my free covering up most of the goods.

A shiver still shuddered through my body, just as his gaze slipped away. "Caitlin, please go up to your room so we can talk."

"But why? I want to stay and play with Kiara and the baby."

"They'll be coming back again, you can play with them then." He didn't hide the clear threat lacing his voice. I guess I would be coming again.

With a frustrated shriek, she ran straight up to her room, slamming the door for effect. I cringed, Aaron didn't even bet an eyelid. I suspected it was a common occurrence in the Black household.

Finally, his eyes turned to me. "She can't walk? Or...talk?" I narrowed my eyes him, watching as his expression turned anxious. "She's nearly two, shouldn't she be doing that by now?"

I instantly felt the urge to defend my baby.

"She's a little...slower than most kids her age but the paediatrician assured me that she'll walk and talk when she's ready. She does talk kinda, I mean I understand what she's saying most times, but it's more babble than anything. She can say Mama, bunny, but she struggles with sentences. She'll get there, one day."

Aaron nodded, and then dropped the subject. "But what about health problems? Is she okay? No diseases or mental afflictions I should know about?" I should have been angry that he questioning whether or not my daughter was disabled, and yet, I knew Aaron.

I saw the fear lingering in his blue oceanic eyes, his subtle ticks that caused him to appear nervous and worried. He was stalling, because he was afraid to meet her.

"Aaron," I spoke gently. "She's just a baby, she won't hurt you or be afraid. I mean she might at first but that disappears with time and besides, you've already held her."

He sighed, finally giving up his macho facade. "Yeah I know. It's different this time though, she's...mine, not some random kid. I just don't want to disappoint her or screw her up. It's true, I never wanted to be a father. For that very reason, but the fact that the only woman I've ever truly been with believed that too. It hurts Kiara, more than you leaving me. You not having faith that I could be a good father is what hurts the most."

Guilt splintered through my body, painfully so. I clutched my lifeline, my baby, a little tighter, ignoring her quiet whines of protest.

God, I really did f**k up. I had all the excuses in the world for leaving, but for making Aaron feel like this...there was no excuse for that.

"First of all, you won't screw her up because I'll be there to make sure you won't, and second...I'm so sorry for ever making you feel like that. It wasn't fair to you and it wasn't fair to our daughter either. I will try because I don't want her waking up in ten or fifteen years and realising she doesn't have a father in her life and it's all my fault. You have to meet me halfway though Aaron, it will only work like that."

The dark shadows of his haunting past, cleared for the misty dew in his eyes to arise. Standing up, I walked over to where Aaron was perched in the single leather arm chair and placed Anastasia in his lap.

I crouched down so I was face to face with my baby and smiled as she gave me a toothy grin, burrowing her face into his chest. Smoothing back her onyx curls, I moved her back slightly so she could see Aaron in the light.

"Baby this is your daddy. Remember, I told you about him?" Every other night, whenever I was feeling reminiscent, I showed her a photo of him. I told her our love story, how she came to be.

"Bad wolfie." She slapped his chest, earning a surprised yowl from Aaron. I gripped her hand.

"Anastasia no. No hitting."

"Bad wolfie." She murmured, bottom lip trembling.

"She did that before." Aaron mumbled.

"Yeah, that might have been my fault." I admitted sheepishly. "There were a lot of days when I was angry with you, I mean furiously angry and, I might have dubbed you bad wolfie as a sort of way of villainising you."

"Great, so my daughter thinks I'm the bad guy." You kind of are. I wanted to add, but bit my tongue.

"It's in an easy fix, just buy her a lollipop or something and she'll be your new favourite buddy." He chuckled deeply, forcing me to look away and quench my arousal.

"I'll be buying her a lot more than a lollipop." Then he looked down at our daughter with look I had never seen before, glistening his eyes. "I'll buy you the world baby. Daddy has a lot of making up to do."

Then he hugged her, he snuggled her closer to his chest and gave her the cutest hug I had ever seen. It made my daughter smile and my ovaries explode.

"Do you...uh need the DNA test?" He hadn't asked, I hadn't thought to offer until now.

"No it's fine. Tristan text me a picture earlier, I trust him." Him, not me.

"Well, anything else you want to know?" Awkwardness had set in. Just the two of us, the child we had conceived and painfully unimaginable silence that lingered through the empty room.

"Has she started to walk?" I smiled.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Reaching forward, I picked her up and set her on the ground. My baby wobbled a little at first, but then quickly regaining her footing, she started waddling about the room.

I laughed, until I realised that Aaron was almost utterly silent. His eyes transfixed on Anastasia, like he'd never seen something so perfect before.

"When did she take her first steps?" I rest my elbow on my knee and sighed.

"For, it must have been at least a year almost. She was very quick to walk. It was at home, almost eleven o clock at night and she just wouldn't stop screaming. I went to make her a bottle and when I came back she was just...walking. She still struggles a little bit but she's perfect."

"I know." He murmured, then something flared in his eyes. "I have a present for her." He suddenly blurted out.

Leaving the room, he quickly returned with a large box, I mean one so big it hardly fit through the doorway.

"Anastasia," He called out. Her eyes darted around the room for a moment, until finally they landed on him. Aaron pulled out a Swiss Army knife and sliced the box open in one swift move.

Letting the mass of foam shaped peanuts fall out, he then preceded to rip open the box, revealing a...baby blue child size car? I meant an actual bloody car that my daughter could sit and drive!

"Aaron..." I said in warning, but he shot me a look so deathly, that I shut my mouth instantly.

"Vroom vroom!" Stasia screamed. Her interpretation of car. Her eyes became alight with joy, surveying the large contraception with such a toothy smile.

"Come here beautiful." Aaron lifted her into the car and thankfully, grabbed the remote control and began taking her for a spin around the room.

"Mama! Mama! Vroom!" She screamed ecstatically. I nodded in encouragement, happy because my baby was happy.

"Yes baby, wow you're going so fast." I glanced at Aaron for a moment, only to see his eyes do the same. We looked at one another, smiled, and then he continued taking our daughter for a joyride around the living room.

After, Aaron helped her climb out and she fell down for a moment, laughing, still riding her high. "Dada!" She called out, raising her hands in the air for him.

My heart stopped, and from the look of absolute joy on Aaron's face. He felt it too.

"Of course, baby." He lifted her into the air, throwing her up and letting her girlish screams fill the room.

That's what I always imagined it to sound like. My dream. Children laughing with glee, Aaron playing with out children. I guess in a way, my dream was complete, except...in the dream I was wearing a wedding ring, and so was he.

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A/N: This was just meant to be a cute fluffy chapter for Aaron and Anastasia, but I hope you still liked it anyways!

What did you think of their meeting?

And of the present?

I also want to reiterate that in The Rise Of A Queen, Elliot and Hardin are NOT cousins and if you read any mention of them being cousins could please let me know which chapter and where so I can fix it!! I make such a stupid mistakes sometimes. ??