What She Needs (Closed)

[momoftwins13]

Corey heard Luke approaching and took a deep breath to steady herself. His words made her smile slightly as he pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist leaned her head against her chest.

"I'm sorry" she said in a hoarse voice. "Everything is perfect. I just was thinking about how lucky Zoe is to have you as a daddy... And how lucky I am to have found you like this. I've never had this atmosphere before, Luke. There was never a daddy around to eat dinner with. Never a night spent just laughing around a kitchen table. It was usually me and one of my babysitters and frozen meals".

She shrugged slightly. "My mom did the best she could. I know that. This is just so much better". She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "I love you and I love Zoe."

 

[Niceandbrutal]

"Oh Fox, you were dealt a rotten hand. I'm just proud of you for being who you are. Your mom would have been proud of you too, I'm sure."

He looked at her and gently stroked her hair before kissing her forehead.

"Sometimes I forget how strong you must've been to make it without parents, Fox. I know how strong you are now. You never cease to amaze me, I hope you realize that. And I love you too, Corrine."

The spell was broken by a loud clatter of plates and a small voice exclaiming "oops!" from the dining room.

"I need to make sure Zoe doesn't demolish the house now."

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey burst out laughing when they walked together back into the kitchen. Zoe stood on the floor, a still rocking plate on the floor, next to Rookie who had spaghetti hanging from his head, ears and neck and was looking just as guilty as the little girl next to him.

Zoe was quick to explain. "I was just gonna share wif him... Him looked hungry. But when I got up my sgetti plate fell on hims head. I sowwy. I clean it up" she said quietly.

Corey coughed and place a hand over her mouth to hide another laugh as Rookie began to try and lick the spaghetti from his nose the best he could.

"I think everyone is gonna need baths tonight" Corey stated with a small giggle.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke gently but firmly told Zoe off. Rookie has his own food, he doesn't need human food. That's just for humans. And Zoe-bears, of course. He let her help clean up as she was sincerely sorry about the mess she'd made. Rookie took it all in his stride, up until they tried to wash him. It took Zoe's and Corey's best efforts to get the shepherd to stand still while they washed him. Zoe told the dog about him not needing human food in her firm light voice.

Then it was Zoe's turn. It went surprisingly well. She apparently wanted to be an example for Rookie and she kept talking to him while she bathed and washed. She told about the importance of keeping clean, lest some mysterious 'gems' came and upset life in some vaguely disconcerting way. Midway through the wash she asked for Corey to come help with her hair. Luke called for her, a happy smile on his face. This was going better than he'd hoped.

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey couldn't help but laugh at the wide eyes innocence of Zoe. She was the most charming little girl Corey had ever laid eyes on. She was surprised when Zoe requested Corey to come in and wash her hair for her.

Smiling, she entered the little bathroom and knelt down beside the tub. She had never washed a chair but she figured it couldn't be too hard. She wet her hair and then began to suds it up with the special non burning child shampoo. Once all of the bubbles were rinsed off Corey and Zoe began to play.

Only when she heard Luke clear his throat behind her did she notice that she was soaked and so was the entire bathroom.

But the smile lighting both females' faces made the mess entirely worth it.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke made sure to snap a few pictures before playing the stern father. The way Corey played and interacted with Zoe made him more certain than ever, this woman he had to hold on to for dear life.

"We need to dry off our little Zoe-bear before she goes to bed. Who's my little Zoe-bear!" At that, Zoe let out a very unfrightening growl and scrunched up her face to look fierce and wild, her hands made into little claws. She advanced towards Luke in a bearlike manner, growling all the while. Luke backed up against the wall saying "Haaaalp, the Zoe-bear's gonna get me!" sending Zoe into gales of laughter.

He looked at Zoe with a wicked grin. "You think Corey's afraid of the Zoe-bear?"

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey laughed as Zoe-bear tried to attack her. Somehow they all ended up in a heap on the bed after they had dressed her for bed. Wrestling, giggling, wearing each other out in general. Finally they ended up laying on the bed together, Zoe in the middle, Rookie at the foot of it.

Zoe was yawning and Corey and Luke were smiling. Corey glanced over at Luke and gave him their "I love you" sign with a smile. Zoe yawned again and rolled over, her arm slinging over Luke's waist and her head coming to rest on his abs as her eyes fluttered open and closed sleepily.

The little girl was exhausted. It was obviously bed time.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke carried Zoe to the bed they'd prepared for her and tucked her in. Rookie plodded softly along and lay down beside Zoe's bed. Seeing the dog's affection for Zoe, Luke's fondness for Rookie had grown tenfold. He scratched and petted Rookie as way of thanks for him watching over his little girl, then looked over at Corey and finally signalled "I love you" back at her. He leaned down and kissed Zoe's forehead. She slept on, secure in the knowledge that she was loved.

They sneaked out, but left the door ajar to let some light into Zoe's room and to allow Rookie to come and go as he wished. Luke trusted him unquestioningly. He looked at Corey, smiling. "I think we can call that a success."

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey smiled at Luke and moved to wrap her arms around him and lay her head in his shoulder. "She's perfect, Luke" she told him. "You're one lucky daddy, that's for sure".

They walked down the hall together. "Wanna go out on the back porch?" She asked. "There's rocking chairs and you can see the ocean perfectly."

It seemed like the perfect end to an evening for her. On her way by she grabbed two beers from their fridge and carried them along as well. Outside the waves were crashing relentlessly against the shore in a rhythmic, calming sound and Corey sighed as they both sat down.

"Today was awesome" she told Luke with a bright smile.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke sighed contentedly and nodded his agreement, a big smile on his face.
The back porch was perfectly situated for kicking back and relaxing. He'd also hear Zoe, should she wake up with the frights.

"I've never seen Zoe take to someone like she did to you today, Fox. You should be proud. She usually is wary of strangers. Took her a month to trust my ex's new man. You really are great with kids."

The thought crossed him then. What if she became pregnant? They'd had lots of unprotected sex. He'd been so swept up in their romance he'd never given this a serious thought before.

"Say Fox, um, maybe we should start considering protection when we, you know... make love?"

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey felt the blood drain from her face. Protection. They had been extremely careless about it. Her eyes connected with his and she tried to form the right words. Mentally she was scrambling to count and see when her next cycle was due to arrive. She thought she had about four days left.

"Yeah we might wanna consider that..." She said quietly. "It'd be a good idea for me to get on birth control I guess".

She was thinking forward. What if she was pregnant? Did Luke even want more kids? If so did he want HER kids? She knew he would do the right thing but she didn't want him to trap him into something.

"I'm sure I'm probably good but Luke..." She hesitated. "We've been pretty careless...what if...?" She let the question hang, unable to say it out loud.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

"If our carelessness has been 'fruitful' as it were, we'll take it from there. Until then I'd better drop by a pharmacy and buy protection for me. Birth control takes a couple of weeks to kick in, right?"

He remembered his ex saying something along those lines. He reached for her hand and held it, smiling reassuringly at her. "I wouldn't mind being a dad again, though. It'll be a LOT of work, but it's fantastic to be a parent."

 

[momoftwins13]

"Yes birth control takes a while and I can't start until after I make sure I'm actually not pregnant. If I was and began it, it could harm the baby." She stared at him silently for a few moments. "I wouldn't opposed to being a mom... I'm already in love with Zoe and she would probably love a sibling huh?"

She laughed softly, relieved that he would be open to it IF she was. She didn'tike abortions.

"We will wait and see. I should know within five or so days".

She sat bak and took a deep breath of ocean air.

"I love you" she said with a smile over at him.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

"And I you, Foxy."

He sipped his beer, and for a while they just sat in a comfortable silence and listened to the waves lapping. It was a quiet evening. The sky was clear and the stars were out. As they were some distance from a large city with bright lights and pollution, the stars were plentiful and clear. He hadn't seen stars so clearly since Afghanistan. He pointed them out to Corey. As she looked up, a shooting star flashed across the sky.

"Quick, make a wish!"

(He wished this bliss would never end.)

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey smiled and silently wished that she and Luke could love a happy life together for the rest of their days. She began to yawn more and more and finally looked over at Luke. "Babe I'm tired... Wanna hit the sack?" She asked quietly as she stood and held a hand out to him.

For once she really wasnt around she merely wanted to be held by him; to snuggle with him and spend the night in his arms.

Rookie came trotting to the door to check out who was entering and when he saw it was her and Luke he licked both of their hands before heading back to Zoe's room to keep vigil.

"I love that dog" she said quietly as they walked in to their own bedroom.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke concurred. It had been a long day and he was bushed. He plodded after Corey and greeted Rookie before they entered their sleeping room. They lay down and cuddled as he cradled her in his arms. He was drifting off to sleep as Zoe's crying startled him awake.

He trudged to her room. Yep. Nightmares. Rookie was quietly simpering and tentatively wagging his tail as Zoe, drunk with sleep, started to wake up. Luke lifted her up and started talking to her in a calm reassuring voice. "See honey? Rookie's here, watching over you. Daddy's in the next room with Corey. See, there she is."

Zoe waved tiredly at Corey and insisted on petting Rookie before allowing her father to put her back to bed. Rookie rested his head on the mattress next to Zoe's head as Luke kissed her goodnight. The last thing he saw was Zoe hugging the head of the patient shepherd as she drifted off to sleep again.

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey was also startled when Zoe began to cry out in her sleep. She also plodded after Luke to make sure the little girl was ok. She smiled at how rookie obviously tried to comfort the girl. Once Luke laid her back down, Corey patted the mattress and Rookie gently hopped up beside Zoe on the mattress.

"Is that ok?" Corey asked Luke belatedly. "Sorry. He sleeps in my bed at home, but only when invited... Maybe he will help Zoe sleep on the strange room".

The couple trudged back to bed and fell back into a deep slumber holding each other in their arms. Corey never stirred again into the next morning.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke woke up to Zoe's happy voice emanating through the house. He got up and looked into her room. Yep. She was sitting in bed with one of her dolls, explaining to the shepherd about the latest escapades of Barbie and Spongebob. Rookie sat beside her, watching her with an alert demeanor. He looked up and settled down again as Luke entered the room.

"Morning Zoe-bear, did you sleep well?" An absent-minded "uh-huh" was the answer before she again turned her full attention to Rookie and her tale of the latest strange adventures of barbie and Bob. Luke found it best not to intrude further. It was very early, so he fixed a little snack for Zoe before he made some coffee for himself and Corey.

Then he had an idea. "Hey Zoe. Wanna come help me wake up Corey? She is such a sleepyhead!" Zoe giggled at that. Luke led her to his and Corey's room and stood by with a mug of coffee for when she woke up. Zoe set about her task with zeal. "Cowey! Wake up!" She hopped into the the bed and sat astride Corey, jumping up and down. "Wakey-wakey!"

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey slept like the dead, only becoming aware of her surroundings when a small body firmly launched itself upon her on the bed. Startled, her eyes flew open but she grinned when she saw the sleepy eye face hovering above her an bouncing like she was a trampoline.

"Corey's awake. I'm up" she said grinning. When the little girl continued to bounce Corey squealed and grabbed her by the sides and flipped her to the bed where he continued to tickle and tease her into a fit of giggles.

"What a great face to wake up to in the morning" she told Zoe when she finally stopped. "Yours and your daddy's are about the best ever".

Her eyes searched the room and found Luke's and she smiled flirtatiously as she sat up in bed.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke loved to watch Corey play with Zoe. Zoe had readily accepted her and clearly loved the attention she got from Corey. Rookie came plodding in at Zoe's squeals, discerned that no harm was done to his new best friend and joined the fray.

After things had calmed down, he caught Corey's look and smiled back at her. She seemed more happy and relaxed than he'd ever seen her. He was glad for her, she deserved to be happy after- and his thoughts went back to Grimes. The bastard. A shadow crossed his face, causing Corey to give him a questioning look. He shrugged and turned his thoughts back to a happier here and now.

He busied himself with washing and dressing Zoe. She protested, until he mentioned the diner and minigolf. Then she couldn't wash and dress quickly enough. She urged Luke and Corey to hurry!!!

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey saw the unhappy look pas over Luke's face but he seemed to shake it of quickly so she dismissed it. If it was important, he would tell her when they were alone. She watched as Luke tried to wrangle his daughter into clothes to get ready for breakfast.

Corey then headed to get ready herself; brushing her teeth and hair, dressing in a pair of denim shorts and a tank top covered by a hooded sweatshirt and sneakers. Casual and comfy yet somehow she still managed to look beautiful as always.

She smiled as she walked out. Luke and Zoe awaited her, Luke looking sexy like always. Corey smiled to herself. Damn she was one hell of a lucky woman.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke groaned inwardly when he saw her. Nothing turned Luke on more than denim shorts. Oh, this was gonna be a long day. He'd dressed in dark blue baggy shorts with white drawstrings reaching to just above his knees and a large baggy white t-shirt. As a force of habit the shirt was outside the shorts. In the beltline was his badge and service weapon. He wore a black windbreaker and faded black converse.

There was a minor altercation when Zoe realised Rookie wouldn't be going with them. She was inconsolable, stretching her arms after the big friendly dog.

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey helped resolve the Rookie issue by explaining to Zoe that Rookie wouldn't mind staying behind... He couldn't hold a golf club, after all. And besides who would guard her beloved sponge bob stuffed animal if Rookie left?? This seemed to pacify the girl and Corey excused herself for a moment to walk out to the utility room where she had left her own service recover locked in a cabinet. She slipped it into her waist holder as well before joining the two impatient humans at the door with a smile.

As they drove towards the diner Zoe was an endless stream of chatter. Corey nearly choked on laughter when suddenly the girl switched subjects.

"Daddy is Corey your gierlfwiend? Does you two snuggle in bed?"

Corey felt her cheeks go red and stifled a giggle, remaining silent and letting Luke dodge this one on his own.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Luke didn't see the point in mincing words. Zoe wasn't stupid and she'd see right through them both if he lied. "Yes Zoe, Corey is my girlfriend. Now, whether or not we snuggle in bed is none of your business, Zoe-bear." He smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Yeah but-" she started. Luke managed to divert her attention by pointing out the diner. They were soon seated. Zoe got some crayons andsheets of pictures where she could fill in the blanks with appropriate colors. She busied herself, singing a nonsensical neverending atonal song at the top of her voice. She drew some looks, most of them indulgent smiles from the orher diners.

Luke shifted his glancefrom Zoe to Corey, admiring her toned body in those provocative shorts. He leaned forward and whispered "If being sexy ever was outlawed, you'd been jailed for life!" Just then Zoe broke in with her song: "Whisperers are liars, daddy!" He had a hard time keeping a straight face.

 

[momoftwins13]

Corey smiled at how Luke managed the question. Honest yet not the entire truth. She reached over and squeezed his hand lightly. Soon enough they were seated and Corey was loving every second of being with the little girl. She charmed every single person who passed, that much was obvious.

Luke's whispered words made Corey blush and then she laughed outright at Zoe's words. She ultimately began thinking about the possibility that she could be pregnant. Would their child together be as beautiful and charming as Zoe? Probably equally so. Would she make a good mom? Corey's stomach fluttered nervously at that. She hoped so.

Realizing her mind had drifted she focused and smiled at Luke when he glanced curiously her way.