Little Wonder (Phan)

Ninety-Five.

Wrapping my arms around her small figure I felt like I never wanted to let her go again, but then again she needed to breath so I ended up loosening my grip on her. "Sorry, Little Cub, but I've. .. I've missed you so much. I didn't know that me and Daddy would be gone so long, there was a terrible storm that cut out power, and then the planes were delayed. We were only meant to be gone for a couple of days, not two weeks. Did you have a fun time at Miles' house?" The way her eyes sparkled told me there was a lot that had happened at his house, but she obviously wasn't going to tell me everything. Yes she was only 8 years old and I was her parent, but she was still as entitled to her secrets as much as anyone else. "Daddy will be home soon, I promise. But for the time being how about we have some fun, okay?" She agreed, sitting in my lap very patiently.

Only an hour or two went by before there was a knock on the door and Winnie bounced up to get it, but something was off. One of the few things Phil rarely ever forgot was his keys and if he did there was a special knock that we had incase he needed to get in the house. This wasn't Phil. But by the time I realised that Winnie had already opened the door and was greeted by a sweet voice I'd hoped I'd never hear again. "Oh my! You must be little Winnie, you've grown since the last I saw you. I'm your Nana Lester. You're Daddy's mummy." Racing over to Winnie I glared at the woman who was standing in our doorway. It'd been years since I'd seen her but she didn't look any less mean than the last time I had. I thought Phil had made it pretty clear to stay away. "Oh Daniel, is that you? You've grown as well." She wrapped her arms around me in a deathly kind of way, like she wanted to raise her arms and choke me to death. But she was just a little to short to do that, or else I wouldn't have put it past her. "Where's Philly? I was really hoping to see him."

Her nails were digging into me and I wanted to let out a whimper, but she was one of the last people I'd ever let see me weak. "He'll be home shortly, we've been out of a couple of things so he offered to go get them. Please, come in. I'm sure he'll be moved to know that you came." Oh he'd be moved, with anger. But I really shouldn't think that I knew what Phil was going to do. "Hey, Little Cub?" Looking up at me with those big eyes of hers she seemed to understand and gave me a nod, scampering off towards her room. Glaring at Catherine now I sneered before turning my back to her. Though I should be more careful for all I know, she might stab it. "What are you -- you have some nerve coming here, Catherine." I was ready to throw something, but I didn't want to add anything to her agenda that I was a bad parent or anything, because that would help it. Her mouth was twisted into a smile that made me want to puke. What angle was she playing?

"What, I can't come and see my niece and son?" It was nice how she kept me out of that whole sentence. "Oh, and where is that nice girl, Dodie? If you haven't already known she and my son got rather close in your leave of absence." Is that really, probably only one of, the reasons she had popped back up in our lives? She thought that she could divide me and Phil with Dodie? I began to suspect that she didn't really know our friendship with Dodie at all, if she really had in the first place. "I would be a little scared if I were you. She's beautiful, almost perfect for my son, and I wouldn't put it past her if she stole him right from under your nose. That's happened once already, hmm?" Bea. She was talking about Bea. And I was thinking about breaking her nose. "I would be frightened to lose my husband, and after all your hard work of brainwashing him to think that he actually loves you, shouldn't you be the littlest bit upset?" No. I was really furious.

I was about to open my mouth when Phil came through the door with a bright smile on his face, which vanished quickly upon seeing his mother. Her eyes lit up and she expected to be greeted with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. But all she was greeted with was even colder than what I'd given her, nothing. He walked around her and gave me a peck on the lips. "Sorry that I was late, I couldn't find Pink Lemonade for Winnie, hey, could you check up on how she's doing?" Maybe I was wrong. Those ocean eyes mirrored anger and I knew that he would explode once I was gone. "I'll call you back out soon, Daniel, I love you." He gave me one more kiss, and then I ran.

~

"That bad, huh?" Leaning against the doorway I watched as Phil lifted his head with a glare that was challenging, but softened upon realising that it was me. "I'm sorry, Winnie opened the door and I didn't realise until it was to late that I hadn't heard the knock, and I couldn't just kick her out with Winnie there. She'd already said she was her Nana." Sitting down beside him I give him a tiny smile before pressing my lips to his temple, like a mum would to her child who was upset. "I never meant to --" I was cut off by his lips on mine and him suddenly pushing me down, with more force than he had in awhile. Lately he'd been acting like I was made of glass, unless he'd lost a bit of control which rarely happened, so I knew that something was causing. Thoughts in his mind were causing him to lash out in any way they could. "Phil." I tried to keep my voice at a calm tone, making sure that I didn't submit. "Phil!" Being louder didn't seem to help and he was beginning to push down my pants, so I kicked him. Hard. "You aren't acting like yourself, I think there's some things we need to talk about, alright?" He was crying. Shit. "Phil? Please don't cry."

He curled up into himself and let out a scream, one that I knew Winnie would hear but hopefully she would stay in her room at least. "I-I'm sorry!" He was gasping for air and peeking through his fringe, looking up at me with ocean eyes that flooded. "I just. .. I want to forget. I asked her to leave us alone, and yet time after time again she tries to hurt my family. What kind of a husband to you am I if I let someone keep hurting our family?" His voice was pained. Laying down by his side I kissed his head and wrapped my arms around him, allowing him to cuddle into my chest. "I am no man if I can't even protect you guys." And that's where I drew the line. No more pity.

"Philip Michael Lester. You are the greatest man I have ever had the honor of knowing, and in the end, marrying." Lifting his head up I pecked his nose and smiled. "You do everything that you can to protect us, no one is perfect, and you are human. Everything has flaws and the one thing that was flawed in your plan of keeping us safe from her is that. .. she's human too." With a confused expression on his face I couldn't help but laugh. "She's stubborn, like a certain man I know and love. She thinks what she's doing is for the best, and is best for you. And a mother will not back down so easily, like neither of us would back down if Winnie were to, say, do something stupid when she gets a bit older. It's what parents were designed to be like. The good ones, Phil."

I began to gently play with his hair and he soon melted into me, practically purring like a kitten. Laughing I pressed my lips to his forehead and smiled. "Wow, nice words, Mama Bear." Hitting him over the head I was glad he wasn't upset anymore, or at least now he wasn't showing it. "And I am sorry for. .. almost trying to have sex with you forcefully, that's not what you do in a trusting relationship." (As my good friend Vee says, CONSENT IS IMPORTANT) I smirked and kissed him gently before pushing him down into the bed. Those ocean eyes turned from sad to lustful in a matter of minutes. "Are you sure?" I kissed him again and went for his pants. "Well, whatever Mama Bear wants, he gets." And soon we were making out. And hopefully more soon.

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ALMOST TO CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED. Now I planned awhile back to do this until Winnie turned 9, and now that time is almost upon us. I am so sorry, but this book will be ending soon. BYE.