Chain Reaction 3.1.10: Fluffy Stuff

A/N: Time for some fluffy stuff. I know what you're thinking: But what about where Kate went? Is she stuck in the bathroom? Did she ditch Alaric, freaked out by what he said? Has she been kidnapped? Did she decide to sell the jewelry and use that as funding to run away? You'll have to wait a chapter. It's nice to have one to fill in all the otherwise background information, and Charlotte does a good job at this.

As far as chronologically with the rest of the story... eh, it all fits in somewhere around here. :)
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Charlotte

     Our life continues. Brylee is such a sweet baby. I hate leaving her with the sitter when Jarvis and I work in the store, but I also love working in the store.

     A big surprise is when Jarvis' mother, Liliana Landgraab, comes to visit. I don't like her. She's a reminder of our connection to the Landgraabs. She and Jarvis go to lunch now and again, but I never come along. This is her first time at the house.

     She doesn't like me either. She's convinced that my brother killed her husband. I don't know how she could've heard that since Aunt Em is doing everything in her power to keep that out of the press, but well, Landgraabs know things. And for that matter, he was cleared of all charges. She barely speaks to me.

     I hear what happens next through the door and wall as I go about my business. No idea what was said when I wasn't listening. (I'm not eavesdropping!)

     "She looks like her mother, poor thing."

     Like I said, I can't stand the woman.

     "Why is that a bad thing, Mom? Lottie is gorgeous."

     Liliana doesn't respond to that exactly. "She'll be a little handful. What school are you planning on sending her to?"

     Jarvis is getting angry. "The public schools are just fine. She'll go to public school like all the normal kids."

     "Pearl went to public school, and look how she turned out! Owning a bakery?" Pearl is happy with her little bakery. She despises my family as well, so we almost never see her. No big loss there. Last I heard, she got married and then got pregnant very quickly. The now utterly-stuck-up-and-totally-forgetting-where-she-came-from Liliana sees her as a disappointment to the Landgraab name. Her son Oliver, however... (born during the time Malcolm was temporarily released from prison) Oliver looks to be following in his father's footsteps.

     It's terrifying how he even looks the part. He's a teen right now, but he goes to an elite boarding school in Sunset Valley. Liliana loves telling anyone who'll listen how he plans to go to Everton to get a business degree. I've never met him, and I don't want to.

     Liliana's visit doesn't last much longer than that, just long enough to look down her nose at my beautiful daughter. Jarvis keeps trying (later) to say that she's not like that with Brylee, but he's wrong. That's exactly what she's doing.

     Then one day, I get a surprise at work. I guess Jarvis will get what he wanted: almost immediately make another baby.

     His happy reaction when I tell him comes at no surprise. He's always wanted a big family.

     Then we decide it's time for Brylee to age up. I stare at her baby picture. Yes, I want another baby.

     She's absolutely adorable. She even has Jarvis' green eyes. She doesn't exactly look like me or Jarvis, more of a mix. And I love how she proves her stupid grandmother wrong.

     While our daughter plays in her room, Jarvis takes me to play in ours.

     "Let's make another one," he mumbles while continuing to kiss me.

     I giggle. "Jarvis, I'm already pregnant. One at a time!"

     "Well then we should rehearse making the next one. I can never have too much practice at it." His hands never stop grabbing and massaging and stroking me everywhere.

     He's insatiable.

     The store draws the attention of celebrities. They really like the artwork Jarvis manages to acquire.

     One lady tells him that he should just drop the 'fluffy stuff' and sell only artifacts and art. But the collectibles are what got Jarvis started! That's the whole 'treasured junk' part of the business. Jarvis tells her he'll consider it but that for now, the art is merely part of the store.

     My husband, the art dealer?

     The whole experience does something to him. Jarvis has always been one to go after big profit. It's one of the things I both admire and feel apprehensive about.

     Sometimes, we stay over at the apartment above the store. (Jarvis' old office is now the baby's room.)

     "Lottie, would you say we're poor?"

     Where is this going? He always has a plan with questions like that. "No. In fact, we're richer than a lot of people we know."

      He turns back to look at his hands. "We have this apartment, and we have our house. Both of them aren't good enough."

      "What has your mother been telling you?" Maker, I can't stand that woman.

      "It's not Mom. It's just... We're going to have two children soon."

      "Yes, and they can still share a room, even if it's a boy." We don't know what it is yet, and we don't want to find out until he/she is born.

      "But you know I want at least four."

      I get on the bed, on my knees, and rub his shoulders. "One at a time, Jarvis."

      He puts his hand on mine, pulls it to his mouth, and kisses it. "I know. But... Our living quarters won't work for much longer."

      "Are you saying you want to move?"

      "We don't have enough money yet. My goal is to buy one outright. No mortgage."

      I convince him that we're fine for now. But I also notice how much more effort he puts into the artwork we sell in the store than anything else.

     I admit, our house is tight. We needed a bathtub, but the only place to really put one is on the back porch. Liliana nearly faints when she finds out. How is it that the man I love to distraction has a mother like that?

     I don't see what the big deal is. I like our little place. It's charming. And Brylee doesn't care she has to take baths on the back porch. To her, it's like another kiddie pool.

     Jarvis refuses to miss the birth of our...

     Daughter! We name her Elle.

     Brylee adores her baby sister, trying to involve the infant in her play.

     Yes, our little house is just fine.

     Then... It's not.

     "Jarvis..." Apparently, I am a baby machine. Elle is only a few months old! How could I be... "I'm pregnant. Again."

     "Well that's wonderful! Why do you look like that?" I'm pouting. I know it. I think I have every right to pout right now.

     "Because now I feel like that's all I'm good for!"

     "Charlotte..." He pulls me into his arms. "That's not all your good for." He squeezes me. "I love you, and our life right now is a dream come true, something I worried would never happen."

     "You being pregnant again is merely an outward sign of how I can't keep my hands off you." He kisses my cheek. "Well, that and the fact that we're using zero birth control." I have hangups about the stuff that don't really need to be explained. "In fact," he starts kissing my neck, "it's really turning me on, the fact that you're so fertile and I'm definitely not shooting blanks." His hands start getting extra frisky.

     "Easy there, tiger. I'm sore all over for various reasons."

     "Mm... then I believe a massage is in order. Everywhere. And if I get a little sump'n in the process, how can you hold it against me? I can use more than just my hands..." He starts pulling me to the bed.

     Just then, Elle starts screaming her head off, and I can hear Brylee calling for me from where she was playing with her toys.

     "I'm afraid that will have to wait."

     He lets out a long, frustrated sigh. "Then I need a very, very cold shower."

    About a week later, he surprises me!

     It's one we'd looked at. One I didn't think we could afford. It's huge! Our old house could practically fit inside the master bedroom alone.

     We make Brylee's room what the previous owner used as a study. I like that she's on the first floor. Elle's crib either goes in our room or the living room for convenience purposes. When she grows up, we'll move her, but this works for now.

     It has more bedrooms upstairs, including a room that could be another master suite. I have little doubt that we'll fill them.

     I've never seen my husband so confident. To him, this is living the dream. He's accomplished one of his life's biggest goals, and I know it means even more that I'm sharing it with him.

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A/N: As you can probably tell, this chapter pushes WAY far into the future, so that answers a bit more of the chronological question. This means this is it for Jarvis and Charlotte for a while. I'm pretty sure we'll see more of them. With that many kids (as many as he wants anyway), there's bound to be plenty of drama.

Next chapter is back to Alaric, but I make no promises about Kate. :)