T. Novan - Words Heard In Silence / Xena Uber

"Em happy you home."

"I am very happy to be home. I got lost for a while, but Uncle Jocko and Mama helped me find my way."

"You in you office. Em knew."

Charlie looked at Rebecca and they both tried very hard to not laugh out loud. "Yes, Em. Papa was in his office."

"I know." She huffed and cuddled back into his arms. "Papa no work, no more."

Charlie laughed. "Em, Papa has to work. But I promise, Papa will only work as much as he has to, and you can visit me whenever you want." He turned to Rebecca, "That is true for you, too, dear."

Rebecca nodded and placed her hand on his knee. "I am glad. Will you please move back into our room as well?"

"If you want me, I would like to very much. I have missed you more than I can ever tell you."

"I want you to, very much. As long as being in bed with me does not cause you pain. You said the bed upstairs was too soft."

Charlie looked down and tightened his lips. "That was not the problem, dear."

"No? What was it?"

He looked directly into her eyes. "I was afraid. Afraid you would find me…… repellent."

"I understand. You needed time." She looked at Charlie’s bandaged hand. "I wish I had understood it earlier. I was expecting too much too soon."

"No, dear. You were not expecting too much. You were expecting your husband to come back to you. The problem was that I left your husband on that field, and had to find him again." Charlie was trying to be discreet, with Em drowsing on his lap.

"Have you found him?"

"I think I have. He is somewhat shaky and a bit scared, but he is back."

"Good." She was about to say something else when Andrew began wailing. She closed her eyes against the sound and smiled. "That is our boy." She moved and picked him up. "Come Andrew, let me introduce you to your Papa."

Charlie nudged Em, who was half asleep on his lap. "Em, little one, can you make room for your brother? I cannot hold him in my right arm yet."

Em opened sleepy eyes, looking to her brother. "Papa hold Andy." She climbed down from his lap, but stayed near his legs. She watched as the baby was placed in Charlie's arm. "Andy cwies." She sighed. "Lots."

Charlie found himself looking into a pair of blue eyes, crinkled with sleep and irritation. Here was your basic baby, red faced, with good lungs, based on the amount of sound coming out of his mouth right now, and a cap of fine reddish blond hair. Charlie looked up at Rebecca. "Constance’s?"

"Yes."

"Hello, Andrew Richard Redmond. I am your Papa. It is a pleasure to meet you, young sir."

The baby looked to the sound of Charlie's voice, stopped crying and proceeded to yawn.

Charlie laughed and handed his younger son back to Rebecca. "He is beautiful, love. And his hair is like yours."

After placing Andrew in his bed, Rebecca moved to the other cradle and picked up their eldest son. "And this," she presented him, " is Charles Huger Redmond the second."

Charlie Two was solid little boy with a shock of black hair standing up from his head like a bantam rooster’s and bright blue eyes that regarded his father very solemnly. "Hello, son. I do hope you do not turn out to be as stubborn as your father." Charlie looked up at Rebecca and smiled. "We celebrated his arrival with a small found feast –– roast goat. I do hope it was not predictive of his personality."

"No, he is very sweet. A good little boy who does not fuss and entertains himself most of the time."

"Well, dear wife, I would say that you have built us a lovely family while I was gone."

--*--

Tess came and bundled the children away to bed. Em was a little reluctant to go, but Charlie promised her that he would be in the bedroom upstairs in the morning, and she could come and visit him as soon as she woke up.

Charlie and Rebecca talked late into the night. Charlie laid all of his fears and uncertainties before Rebecca, trying to make her understand why he had thought she would be better off without him, and ending up by convincing himself even more of what a fool he had been.

Rebecca palmed Charlie's cheek. "You are exhausted, my love. We need to sleep."

"I am tired, dear, but I fear that I will have to forego sleeping with you for one more night. I just do not think I can get up the stairs."

"Oh I think I can find a way for us to be together. I cannot go another night without being near you."

Charlie caught his breath. She had been rather distant physically throughout the evening. Patting his knee and leaning her head against his good thigh was the limit of her contact. He found that as the night progressed, he longed for her touch. No, he was not in any shape to make love, but he needed to feel her arms around him again and he ached for just a touch from her lips. "I would love to be with you, dear. So whatever you devise, I will be happy."

"Then I shall be right back." Rebecca left the parlor, returning a few minutes later with a pile of bedding that was bigger than she was. After a few minutes, there was a bed placed on the floor near the fireplace. She turned and held out a nightshirt. "Would you like me to help you get dressed for bed?"

"I have no other options, dear. I just cannot do it myself yet. The arm and hand will not cooperate." He saw the slightly dashed looked on her face and added, "but even if I could do it, I would love your assistance."

She nodded and approached him slowly. "Tell me if I hurt you." Carefully she unbelted his robe and help him slip out of it. Then the clothes began to come off. She was very careful about Charlie's right side. "Are you all right?"

Charlie was breathing a little hard. Moving that right arm was painful and anything that nudged the raw bones of his hand was also difficult. She had not yet gotten to the most difficult wounds. "I am as right as I get nowadays, dear. You are far more gentle than Jocko."

"I would hope so," she chuckled and began rolling the sleep shirt. "Do you have any suggestion for what you think might be the best way to do this? To be honest Charlie, it would be easier for you to sleep nude, but it is difficult to say who might walk in here."

"Well, if you get it on the right arm first, then over my head, I can work my left arm into without too much trouble. Then all you have to do is get my trousers off."

"All right." She helped pull the shirt over Charlie's head, slowly and carefully. "Now just hold it up while I take off your trousers." She worked the button and the hook free. "I am sure this is going to be painful, but I will do it as quickly as possible."

Charlie held his breath while Rebecca carefully eased his trousers over the bandages on his hip and thigh. She looked at them carefully for a moment, and seeing no signs of seepage, patted him on his calf. He looked down at her and smiled. "Painless, dear."

"Good." She very gently touched Charlie's right leg. "These do not bother or concern me, Charlie. You are still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Charlie looked at her, seeing the truth in her eyes. "You, my beloved, are terribly biased. I hope you stay that way."

"There is nothing biased about how I feel about you." She helped Charlie pull the sleep shirt down. "Now, can we get you to the bed?"

Charlie grinned at his beautiful wife. "I certainly think you are the most stunning, beautiful, feisty thing I have ever set eyes on. And yes, I think if you give me a hand, I can lower myself down there."

Rebecca held her left hand firmly as Charlie moved from the couch to the bedding on the floor.

With a shaky moment or two, Charlie managed to get down onto the bed without doing major damage. She carefully arranged herself so that the injuries were properly supported and then sank into the soft padding. Extending her left hand to Rebecca, Charlie almost shyly asked, "Can I offer you a shoulder?"