Surprise

[Christian Ward]

They hadn't spoken directly about what Christian did when he wasn't killing men for Diana, but he had spoken of it around her and didn't think twice about doing so now. He figured if Diana wanted to know, she'd do what his mother had done with his father and nag it out of him.

"I'm in the middle of a side job right now. I can't stop to redo an event I'm telling you about now." He gave a sideways glance at Diana, annoyed that she'd started this topic.

"Don't you look at her like that. She's done nothing wrong, you apologize to her."

Christian groaned, his head falling back as his frustration mounted. "I'm sorry," he said in much the same fashion a child who had been scolded and wasn't actually sorry might say it.

Roselyn turned a kind smile to Diana. "You have to keep him in line dear. He thinks he's a big tough man, but he's really a teddy bear." Christian rolled his eyes.

[Diana Ward]

Diana looked at her 'teddy bear' of a husband. Yeah, maybe to Roselyn who would always see Christian as a little boy. Diana had a distinctly different impression of him, and teddy bear was no where in the description.

She also marveled at the apology, even if it did sound like a petulant schoolboy's apology Christian didn't apologize. Neither did Diana. They were too stubborn. They kept fighting and yelling and trying to prove themselves, then had sex to soothe any ruffled feathers.

"Maybe we can do a small service, when things settle down." Diana said in an attempt to appease everyone.

[Christian Ward]

Roselyn gave Christian a smug look at Diana's suggestion. "Thank you, dear. I'm sure I can get my guest list down to under 50. And your parents will want to be there as well. Have you told them the wonderful news yet?"

Christian snapped out of his petulant mood and gave his mother a stern look. She didn't know that Diana's parents were dead, but it felt wrong for them to be mentioned now.

"What?" Roselyn asked as Christian's eyes bore into her, then she realized what her mistake must have been and a sympathetic look appeared on her face as she turned to Diana.

[Diana Ward]

Diana's mother had died when Diana was very young, and her father had not only secreted her away when he found out she was pregnant, but also lied to her and convinced her the baby had died. She didn't have very sympathetic feelings toward him.

"It's quite alright. My parents are deceased." she said trying for an appropriate amount of somberness when she couldn't really care less.

[Christian Ward]

Roselyn reached her hand out and patted Diana's arm gently. The Wards were a non-traditional family in many regards, but Roselyn had always strived to ensure her family felt loved. She wrongfully assumed all other families acted similarly and that Diana was saddened by the passing of her parents.

The rest of the meal went in much the same manner. Roselyn bombarded Diana with questions and fawned over her new daughter-in-law. She would gently scold Christian if he didn't respond in the precise manner she expected him to, and in return he would sigh, glance at the heavens, and grit his teeth as he modified his behavior for his mother's sake. Finally the plates had all been cleared and Roselyn took the opportunity to ask Christian about Diana's missing daughter after Diana excused herself to the restroom.

"You should really have found that girl by now."

"It's a little more complicated than that," he said through gritted teeth. He had tried to change the subject several times already, but his mother was relentless.

"Don't use that line with me, young man. I heard enough of 'its complicated' when your father was alive, God rest his soul. You've married that poor girl's mother, that makes you her father now, Christian."

"Mum, let's not talk about this now. Diana will be back soon. It would be upsetting."

"All I'm saying is that you have extra responsibilities now, darling. Have you thought this through? I love you but are you really ready to be a father?"

Christian stared into his nearly empty glass of scotch, avoiding his mother's piercing eyes.

[Diana Ward]

Ready or not he was one. Diana didn't think anyone was really ready to be a parent, they simply did the best they could as time went on. Sometimes even that was asking too much, but Diana believed Christian loved Alyx. He had fought for their daughter, and now for their son. If he kept that kind of love for his children, then he would be an excellent father, if only Diana could believe the same about herself.

Diana returned to the dining room and came up behind Christian, placing her hands on his shoulders. She also refilled his glass.

She thought the evening would be hard on her. She had mentally and emotionally prepared for Roselyn to dislike her or consider her an interloper, when in fact the woman had made Diana feel more than welcome. It was Christian who suffered the brunt of motherly love.

She could tell by the stiffness in his neck that he was tense, and unconsciously she began to knead his shoulders.

[Christian Ward]

Roselyn read the frustration on her son's face and decided the conversation would be best at another time. She didn't think of it as nagging, she believed it was impossible to nag someone you love. She was simply encouraging him frequently to do the right thing. She would continue to encourage him to find that girl quickly and to stop making excuses for the delay.

"It was so lovely to meet you, my dear." She pulled Diana into another loving embrace. "You come to me if you need any help handling my Christian." She pinched Christian's cheek as he stood there expecting it.

Roselyn put her arm around Diana's shoulders as she walked toward the front door. Christian followed. "It can be rather difficult being married to a man in 'the business' especially when you're waiting at home alone. You come by anytime, ask me anything. I always have time for family. It's never an interruption."

Roselyn had spent most nights of her marriage awake, waiting for Christian's father to come home. Praying he came home in one piece. The nerves she felt every time Grant left for work were channeled into doting on her son and praising the boy for every accomplishment. Christian grew up with extremely high self esteem which translated into his confidence at school, with women, and eventually his career. The family business had made Christian the man Diana fell in love with.

[Diana Ward]

Diana nodded. She had stayed far too silent this evening, mostly because she didn't know what to say. Roselyn's warm and welcoming behavior made Diana want to prove herself further, but how could she?

Diana wouldn't spend her nights awake waiting for Christian to come home, she'd be out there by his side making sure the job got done and protecting his back. She would go crazy waiting at home. But then if she wasn't at home who would be there for the children?

She was more conflicted now than ever as the future loomed and threatened more responsibility and restriction.

She hugged Roselyn as the woman said her goodbyes, "Thank you." she whispered, "Thank you for being so wonderful." she said sincerely.

[Christian Ward]

Roselyn hugged Diana in return. "Such a beautiful face," she said of Diana before turning to say farewell to her son. She pulled Christian in tight and squeezed him. "You find that girl," she whispered. "I want to meet my new granddaughter." Roselyn smiled at the couple and clapped her hands over her heart, pleased to see her son so happy. She stepped out the door and disapparated from the porch.

Christian shut the door and sighed heavily as he turned to face Diana. "Nearly painless," he commented. His mother was a bit much to take and he wondered what Diana's true thoughts on the evening were.

[Diana Ward]

Diana was still staring at the door when Roselyn was gone, her eyes glossy, her mind miles away.

So that was what a mother looked like. A real mother. Christian teased about his mother being overbearing, but to someone who had never known her own mother, Roselyn was wonderful.

Diana's emotions once again threatened to overwhelm her.

She answered Christian being brought back to the present, "She's amazing."

[Christian Ward]

Christian laughed at Diana's response. "You mean overbearing and incessant," he said as he walked into the sitting room. Christian loved his mother, but the woman was a bit much. He didn't stop to realize that Diana's own mother had been gone for so long that she probably didn't know what it was like to be annoyed so greatly by someone else's love and devotion. His mother would offer that in spades to Diana, and eventually to Alyx and their unborn son.

They were so close to having it all.

[Diana Ward]

Diana followed him on autopilot, "I mean loving and caring." she corrected. She came up behind him and placed her arms around his torso under his arms. She rested her cheek against his spine and sighed.

"You're her whole world." she said holding him. He was Diana's world too, between him and their children.

[Christian Ward]

Christian laughed incredulously, but he knew it was true. His mother berated him out of love, and he loved her for it in return. Christian turned in Diana's arms to face her.

"Just think, one day you'll get to annoy our son like that," he said teasingly.

[Diana Ward]

If she lived that long. If they lived long enough to see their son born and grow into a man.

"A mother's love is a gift." she argued. So was a father's love, and Diana could easily picture Christian being every inch the doting father.

She turned serious all of a sudden, "Christian, what happened to your father...did he..."

[Christian Ward]

Her question seemed to come out of nowhere and Christian looked at her confused for a brief moment. Then he linked her thoughts together and looked at her with more compassion in his eye. His father wasn't murdered or killed by anything connected to his work. It was disease and pigheadedness that took Grant Ward.

"My father became ill and was too stubborn to listen to Dr Hanley's advice. He was an old man when he passed, Diana; he was twice my mother's age when they met. I expect to follow suit, don't you worry."

[Diana Ward]

"Stubbornness must run in your family." she said shaking her head. She knew she was just as stubborn and she knew that their children would in all likelihood follow suit.

She didn't have to tell him that she wouldn't be waiting at home for him while he went off to work and risked his life doing, 'the business'. Diana would be at his side and she would fight him tooth and nail if he had anything to say against it. She would of course take things easy with the baby.

[Christian Ward]

"It's what we're known for," he said with a cheeky grin. Christian rarely saw his stubbornness as a bad thing, paired with his careful planning and deadly skill his insistence on doing things his way generally paid off. But he was smart enough to listen to the men he paid to advise him.

[Diana Ward]

"She warned me you might be difficult." Diana teased in return with a raised eyebrow.

[Christian Ward]

Christian gave her a look. "Don't go listening to that old bat. She's off her rocker." He smiled. It was strange that Christian didn't feel awkward in being so playful with Diana. He had hardly cursed or yelled all day, which was likely some sort of record.

"We can clean up tomorrow. Let's go upstairs." He wanted to talk more about their life. His mother had stirred up feelings of nostalgia and asked questions he didn't have an answer for. This strange feeling of peace wouldn't last long, before they knew it they would be back to fighting each other and fighting the world. Christian wanted to take advantage of this moment.

[Diana Ward]

She hit him playfully, "I sure do hope our son has better names for me than old bat."

She followed him up the stairs, feeling the same kind of peacefulness that he felt and wanting to exploit it to it's fullest.