A Reconnect. (Private for Teresa)

[Teresa]

"Oh my poor baby!" Grace exclaimed, Astrid already didn't eat helth fodd, and know she discovered the girl also didn't sleep peacefully, those things were surely not good for her. She nodded her head happily in answer to Astrid's question. "Well, I think she won't accept you calling her anything else than that." Helen was truly excited after hearing about Astrid, she already considered the girl her granddaughter, Grace just hoped her baby felt comfortable about calling her mother that, but

[FalloutZone]

Astrid looked at Grace, "It's okay mama, I have you now to look after me and scare away my nightmares, I don't have anything to fear when your around, you've always made me feel safe and better about myself, I don't think there's anyone else that's managed to do that but you have, you've always done that, protected me and I've been lost without that, without you for so long," said Astrid, softly, "but I guess that's how babies are suppose to feel without there mama's." added Astrid with a smile as she thought back to the day Grace left town to go to college, it surprised her by how much it had hurt seeing her friend leave and how heartbroken she was, she hadn't realise it at the time why she felt so heartbroken by Grace's leaving and was just starting to understand now, she had thought about Grace often since that day and that would normally cause her to mope around and stay in bed, depressed.

[Teresa]

Grace's eyes teared up a bit when Astrid said those things to her. "Yes baby, now mommy is here to take care of your every need. I just want you to wake me up too if you wake in the middle of the night." Probably she'd wake up right away if she felt Astrid moving, but in case she didn't, she didn't want the girl to be left alone to fall back asleep, Astrid was afraid of the dark. "That's exactly how baby's should feel about their mama's. And I want you to know that you won't be withou mommy ever again." Grace regreted going to college and leaving Astrid alone, before that they weren't as close, but it still made a big difference, it was much worse because they didn't even see eachother or talk, Grace had missed so much, many things in Astrid's life. At that time Grace felt like she was leaving more than a friend, maybe deep inside she had always thought of the girl as her baby, but at that time she didn't understand her feelings to name them.

Grace nodded her head grinning back. "Not just cookies, I am sure she baked a cake too." Helen loved cooking, of course she'd love if even more if it was for her granddaughter, and for her mother's joy, she knew Astrid was a big fan of sweets. "I'm so sorry to hear that princess, and mommy wasn't even there to hold your hand." Grace knew many chlidren and even adults were afraid of going to the dentist. "Have you been there after that?" Probably Astrid wouldn't want to go to the dentist ever again, but she had to, it was about her health. "Mary is a doctor now, cardiologist." It was great that Astrid was interested in her family, because now they were also her baby's family, she wanted her to like them - she knew they loved her already-, the girl deserved to be part of a family.

Grace always made sure to express her love for Astrid, saying it, or kissing, or hugging, she wanted the girl to have the afection she never had before. "Your back is hurting too much that you can't stay with mommy while she prepares your baba?" She asked already picking the girl up, because possibly she would not want to be apart from her mommy, even if she was in pain. She smiled at the thouht of Astrid enjoying nursing as much she enjoyed nursing her, that interaction really made her feel like a mommy to her baby.

[FalloutZone]

Astrid watched Grace and noticed the tears in her eyes but they didn't seem like sad tears or at least they didn't to her, she smiled at Grace and nodded, "I will, mommy, promise," said Astrid, "but you'll probably hear me hyperventilating first, if I did wake up from a nightmare," Astrid paused and looked at Grace, "there's a particular one that I sometimes get, it's bad, really, really bad and, well, uh, I think it might be a memory but its always so blurry and I really don't know, it might just be a nightmare but I'm about six, maybe eight? I'm in the bath and its night-time, someone, I think Rachel, comes in and tries to drown me but then I hear a voice and everything just goes black, its probably a nightmare." said Astrid, she hoped it was a nightmare but she couldn't really tell the difference between her memories and some of the nightmares she had, she sometimes doubted herself and what she remembered of Rachel because of the nightmares but deep down she knew the nightmares were true, she just didn't want to accept them, she could accept Rachel being drunk, bringing guys back, hitting her, throwing bottles but there was some she couldn't accept, she wouldn't of accepted the memory of Rachel dragging a knife down her cheek if it weren't for that blasted scar and it would of just been another nightmare she would wake up to instead but because she had proof she couldn't deny what had happened but she could with the others! Or maybe she wouldn't have to anymore, maybe she could tell Grace everything, slowly, little by little about her nightmares and how they weren't nightmares but memories that hurt to much to bear and that were easier to dismiss as nightmares.

Hearing that she wouldn't be without Grace ever again caused Astrid to smile, brightly, her eyes sparkling, "Really!" exclaimed Astrid, excited that she wouldn't be without her mommy.

"C-could I help out with baking some, I've never bake before." admitted Astrid, softly, she had always wanted to bake sweets and as a child she had wanted to open up her own bakery but that was a long time ago and it didn't matter now, "It's okay mommy, we weren't in contact then," replied Astrid only to frown, "no....and I'm not going to one ever again, I don't like them." said Astrid, stubbornly, she would go if her mommy wanted her to do but she'd rather not, she hated the dentist and had nearly cried openly the last time as she waited to be called upon, "Cardiologist?" asked Astrid, looking confused, unsure of the term and having trouble pronouncing it, "It's cool that she's a doctor, she seemed really smart." remarked Astrid, she had met Mary a couple of times but not a lot.

Astrid clung to Grace when the older girl picked her up and placed her head on her mommy's shoulder, "Me stay with you." replied Astrid, snuggling, not wanting to be without Grace even if her back was in pain, and while it was in pain, it wasn't terrible now because of the pills.

[Teresa]

Grace nodded, she had always been a light sleeper, and now that she was taking care of Astrid she was even more, she wanted to wake up in case the girl needed anything fom her, even it was comfort. She frowned, worried about Astrid hyperventilation, that should mean Astrid was having a nightmare, the girl said that it happened every night, therefore she had nightmares every night. Grace did want to tell Astrid what she really thought about her nightmare, if Rachel was capable of willingly cut her daughter's face and leaving a scar there, besides all the other bad things that she did to the girl, there was a high probability that Astrid was remebering something that really happenned to her, she even had had this dream many times before. She cleared her throat before saying, "I hope it's a dream, it's too cruel for a mother do that to her own child, and if she did, she was still horrible, or you wouldn't be having a nightmare like this about her." She just hoped she'd never see Rachel ever again, because she didn't know what she was capable of doing after seeing her face and knowing what she did to Astrid. And if Rachel ever dared tocome closer to the girl or try to talk to her Grace would have to talk to the police about her, she just haven't done that yet because she knew how much it would startle Astrid. She kissed the top of Astrid's head, feeling glad that she had the girl today with her, not only to make sure Rachel wouldn't ever do anything to her again, but also because it meant the girl was alive. "I love you so much princess, you are the best thing in mommy's whole life." She told the girl. "i know you are not ready to tell me everything, but I'll always be here for you if you want to tell me something."

"Yes! Do you really tgink mommy would ever want to be without you?" It was amazing to know that Astrid was so happy at the thought of always being with her.

Grace gave her a soft smile. "I guess she would love to have a little helper, specially if said helper is you." She answered nudging Astrid's nose with her own. "Aw baby, don't be like this, you know it's only for your own good." She sighed, knowing it wouldn't be easy to take the girl to the dentist, and that, at the sime time, it was a thing she really should do. "Mommy will be there with you, she can hold your hand or even you can sit on my lap, then you won't feel scared." She offered, hoping it was enough to change her baby's mind. "Yes, it means she is a doctor that takes care of people's hearts." Grace explained. "She was very smart and she loved studying."

"Good, mommy didn't want to let you go." She said as she carried the girl downstairs and prepared the bottle for her, then she walked to the living room and took a sit on the sofa with Astrid on her lap. "Are you ready baby?" She asked, waiting for the girl's answer.

[FalloutZone]

Astrid nodded at Grace's comment about Rachel, "I hope so too," replied Astrid, "I don't think I even have one good memory of Rachel." admitted Astrid softly, she could tell that Grace was emotional over what Rachel had done to her and she knew how protective her mommy was, she wouldn't want to be Rachel at all if Grace saw her, she didn't know what her mommy would do if they did see Rachel! But if Rachel saw her with Grace she knew that Rachel

[Teresa]

"She didn't try to make good memories with you." Grace ponted out, to lt Astrid know it was all the woman's fault. "We can make a lot of good new memories together." She couldn't change the girl's past, but she could and would make sure Astrid would have a

[FalloutZone]

Astrid nodded at Grace's comment, it was true, Rachel didn't try to make any good memories, she didn't try to do anything good for her but that just meant all the memories she was going to make now with Grace would be even more special because of what happened to her, Grace had giving her a second chance at life and that meant a lot to Astrid, she didn't know where she would of ended up or where she was going, she would still be at her apartment, alone, crying, trying to work through jobs, her course and having one night stands in hope that they would fill up the empty shell she was becoming but she didn't have to worry about that anymore because she had Grace and Grace would protect her, Rachel wouldn't dare try anything and if she did, she knew Grace would have her back and protect her from Rachel, her mommy would protect her from anything and everything, she was certain of it.

Astrid looked at Grace softly and smiled, happy, she felt warm, warm from knowing that Grace wanted to help her and that made her mommy feel okay, she didn't like that Rachel made Grace upset but they were together now and Rachel wasn't going to get in between them at all, no one was, and that reassured Astrid as she looked at Grace.

Astrid grinned at Grace's comment, "Even if I'm sixty?" joked Astrid, "I can see it now, a big garden, a big house and we're both in our late eighties and I'm still cuddled up on your lap on the sofa," giggled Astrid, "I wouldn't mind, really, I don't think I would want it any other way," said Astrid blushing a little, "but you might want a boyfriend or girlfriend at some point and I doubt they'll approve of us being like this and I guess, I feel kinda scared that I could lose this, really, if someone were to come into your life romantically I mean, it's your choice, but I guess I feel more scared of losing you." admitted Astrid softly, concerned about there future together and what it truly meant to the two of them and what would happen.

Astrid giggled and nodded her head, glad that Grace would be there to help out as well she was looking forward to cooking with Grace and her mom, Helen, it would be fun! Astrid smiled a little at Grace's comment and while she did feel scared about the dentist, she couldn't help but feel relieved at the same time because her mommy would be there and she would protect her from anything bad, nasty or scary, she doubted her mommy would take her to a place to get hurt, Grace wasn't like that, she knew that Grace wanted what was best for her and if going to the dentist was what's best she would try and be brave for her mommy even if she felt scared inside.

Astrid pouted slight and nodded, she didn't like the idea of going to a hospital but knowing that Grace's sister was going to be her doctor did help a lot and it did reassure her as well, she smiled at Grace, "That's okay as long as I have you there I should be fine." replied Astrid knowing full well that she would probably have a anxiety attack of some kind if she didn't have Grace or someone she knew there to comfort her, she didn't do well with strangers and she didn't trust doctor's all that much similar to how she didn't trust dentist's!