Chapter Text
The Kennedys arrived at their new home after a day and a half drive from DC to Oregon due to Leon being reassigned to another base of DSO. Celine tiredly sighs after she drives the half the ride, fueled by Leon’s usual black coffee, not her favorite but she had to stay awake after Leon drove the first half. She glanced back at the rear view mirror to see her children snuggled close to their father, bringing a small smile upon her lips.
It gave her a sense of nostalgia of the day that Leon miraculously took one of his vacation leaves and the whole family went to a lakeside cabin. The scene behind her reminded her of that exact day. She chuckled before honking the car, jolting the trio awake at the back.
“Wake up, team!” She called, chuckling loudly. “We’re here.”
The kids groaned and whined as they rubbed the tiredness off their eyes as they sat up. Leon yawned as he leaned close to the window to see the area.
“That’s the place, huh?” He spoke before scrunching his nose. “Not really my color.” This made Celine scoff.
“You chose this place.” She retorts playfully.
“It’s PINK!” Their 9-year-old daughter squealed happily. Giddy at the color of the house, she hopped out of the car and ran up to the house.
“Lily!” Celine called out due to her daughter’s irresponsible enthusiasm. Leon just chuckled and followed the little girl. Celine sighed and looked at her 12-year-old son, Drake, who just looked outside the car window silently. Their relationship became strained when they argued about the move. He didn’t want to leave DC due to his friends and school. Celine sees this as the usual kid tantrum.
She finally cleared her throat and started a conversation with him. “Don’t want to check the place out, champ?”
Silence.. You can hear a pin drop from the exchange. She just slowly nodded. “Ya know, I heard there’s a well here.” she tried to pique his interest again. “They said that it’s so deep that you can’t hear the coin land if you drop it inside.”
Drake just hummed dismissively. Celine sighs.
“I know you don’t like the move, honey but think of it like the time you and Dad went fishing at the lakeside. Wasn’t that fun?”
“But we went home after a few days.” He replied, his tone was cold.
“ Nice one, Cee… ” she internally hit herself. “I’m trying here, Bud.”
“And I want to go back to DC.” He interjected. “But I can’t because of Dad’s stupid job.”
“Drake.” She warned.
“We could’ve stayed in DC but you just had to go with Dad because you can’t be separated from him for TWO SECONDS!”
Celine slammed on the dashboard so hard that her palm hurt. “Your father worked hard to protect us and this country so that you can even go to PLACES like this.” She hissed angrily. “The least we can do is support and be there for him after all the GODDAMN shit he went through.” she huffed. She knew her husband’s struggles since the day they first met when Interpol and DSO joined for multiple assignments. His alcoholism, his PTSD, everything. She didn’t want to leave his side the moment she fell for him and she promised that she wouldn’t.
From the moment they dated, to marriage to parenthood. She’s been there all the way.
“ He’s just a child, Cee… Calm down. ” She mentally lectured herself before sighing.
“Come on, Let’s see the house, Drake.” She mumbled. Drake simply nodded.
They got out of the car just as the movers arrived. Celine can hear Lily’s giggles and Leon’s laughter as he chases after their sunshine, making her smile and relax.
Drake just walked towards the father and daughter, airpods intact in his ears with blaring music. He looks around the house quietly. He ignored Leon and Lily’s call.
“ Kuya!! ” Lily called her brother but pouted when he ignored her.
Leon looks at Celine as she gives him a defeated sigh. “I tried, Bubs…” she explained. Leon nodded with an understanding smile.
“Give him time, Cee.” He reassured her.
This man… What will she do without him?
She smiled and nodded. “I’ll talk to the movers. Distract the munchkins for me?” She asked her husband who nodded. She gave him a quick kiss before going to the movers.
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“WHAT THE HELL?!” Celine exclaimed. “You gotta be kidding me?! 12 grand?!” She’s getting frustrated at the price of transporting their furniture and some belongings. “That’s bullshit! You’re overpricing it on purpose!”
Leon had to intervene, seeing that his wife was about to throw hands at the movers.
“I got this, Cee. Just go to Lily for a bit.” Leon soothes, trying to calm her down. She looks at the movers with a menacing glare before leaving to her kids.
Her mind wanders from all the stress. First the fight with Drake, now being scammed by the movers. Could this day get any better?
She lets out a frustrated groan as she walks to the garden to see that her kids aren’t there.
Panicked, she looked around. “Lily? Drake?” She called out as she walked around the house. She heard Lily’s cries and a dog barking. Immediately, she ran to the source to see Lily clinging onto her brother, crying as the dog barked at her.
Celine scooped Lily up and pats her back. “Mommy’s here, baby.” She cooed to soothe her crying girl. Drake shooed the dog but it kept barking.
“ Drake! Lumayo ka!” (Drake! Get away from it!) She said in her mother’s native language. “It might bite!”
“Oh dear! Beatrice! No.” A stern, old lady voice emerged from the stairs below the house. “Don’t bully the children.” An old woman climbed up the stairs with a cane in her hand. She looks at the family apologetically. “I’m sorry, dears. I don’t know what got into her.”
Celine shook her head. “No, no. It’s fine. My daughter has a phobia with dogs.” She explained to the woman.
“Oh, the poor dear.” She said sympathetically. “Are you new here? I haven’t seen you here before.”
Celine nodded. “Y-Yes, ma’am. We just moved in.” She clears her throat. “We’re the Kennedys.”
The old woman smiled sweetly. “My dear! It’s been a while for someone living inside that sad looking house.” She chuckled. “What was your name again, dear?”
“Celine. Celine Kennedy.”
“Celeste?”
“Celine.”
“Celeste?”
“I-It’s Celine, ma’am.”
“Nice to meet you, Celeste. I’m Mrs. Gertrude Dukes. I live here with my partner, Ms. Geraldine Carter.” The old woman introduced. Celine just smiled and nodded.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Dukes.” Celine replied with a strained smile.
“Hope you’re free for some tea.”
“Will be looking forward to it, ma’am.”
The trio waved to the old lady before going to the front of the house. She found Leon carrying some of the boxes from the movers.
Celine placed Lily down and helped him carry them.
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Later that night, Celine was in their bed, typing on her laptop their expenses and calculating them. She let out a weary sigh and removed her glasses as Leon got out of the bathroom. She unknowingly stares at his muscular body adorned with scars that he got from 21 years fighting Bioterrorism and protecting others. Scars that she loved so dearly.
“Take a picture. It’ll last long.” He teased her with a playful smirk as he put on a pair of boxers. She chuckled and decided to return a banter.
“Oh~ I’d rather have the 3D experience.” GOD, THAT WAS STUPID, CELINE.
His smirk grew then climbed to bed with her, still just in his boxers as he brushed his lips against her neck. “I can give you the exclusive cut~” he began to kiss her neck sensually, making her moan softly. She can feel the heat rising up in her body, closing her laptop and putting it on the nightstand. Her breath hitched when she felt his hand run up inside her nightgown, shuddering in his warm touch on her bare skin.
“Leon.” She breathes his name as his kisses lowered to her collarbone, gently pushing her down on the bed. Her heartbeat quickens as she feels her arousal spiking, biting her lip to stifle any loud moans from escaping her lips.
“Let me make you feel good, baby.” He cooed in her ear, making her arousal grow even more. His fingers glide on the smooth satin on her nightgown before reaching to her breast, cupping and squeezing gently. She squirmed slightly by his squeeze, she hummed in pleasure, not wanting it to end.
Yet, suddenly, the voice of their daughter called out for her father, crying.
“Daddy!” Lily’s voice cried from her newly placed bedroom.
Celine chuckled before tapping his shoulder. “Your princess awaits.” She joked, making him chuckle at the cockblock he just received from his little princess.
“Yup. Gotta see what monsters are under her bed this time.” He sighs before getting up, putting on a shirt and a pair of sweatpants before making his way to his baby girl's bedroom. She decided to follow him, getting a robe to cover herself. She then walked to the bedroom, seeing Leon checked the closet and under the bed for their child.
“No monsters, Sweetheart.” Leon reassured his little angel, kissing her forehead as she sniffled.
“What if they appear later when you leave, Daddy?” Lily wept, scared from whatever imagination happened in her head.
Leon smiled softly as he ran his hand through her hair, hoping to soothe her fears away.
“Then Daddy will fight them off.” He said, barely a whisper. “No one is going to hurt you while I’m here.”
“Promise?”
“I promise, Buttercup.”
That reassured Lily and hugged her stuffed toy Shark, The one Leon gave her on her 5th birthday.
“Get some sleep, princess ok?”
“I love you, daddy.”
This melted Leon’s heart, earning another kiss on the forehead.
“I love you too, Lily. Get some sleep.”
The little girl nodded before laying down to sleep.
Celine smiled watching the whole thing unfold, turning off the lights for her daughter as both her and Leon walked out of the room and back to theirs.
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“When will she come?” a child-like voice spoke to him. He raised a finger at them with a smirk on his face.
“Patience, my child.” he cooed. “She’ll come soon. It’s only a matter of time.” He then leans closer to the mirror with a sinister smirk plastered on his lips, watching the former agent sleeping peacefully next to her husband.
“Soon, my dear. You’ll be mine.”
_______________________
Celine woke up from the sound of Leon’s alarm blaring as the sun just rose. She groaned and covered her ears with her pillow.
“Dammit, Leon…” She whined groggily. “Your alarm is loud again…”
Leon stirred as his hand tiredly slammed on the alarm, snoozing it. “My bad, babe…” He mumbled before shifting to her side and hugged her by the waist, placing a sleepy kiss on the nape of her neck. “Good morning, Beautiful.”
She hummed in response before looking at the digital clock on the nightstand. 6 AM, too early to start the day.
“God… It’s too early…” She huffed, burying her head on his chest. He chuckled as he pulled her closer.
“Fine, One more hour then we unpack.” He stated, now it was her turn to chuckle.
“Same old Leon…”
“Same old Celine.”
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Celine pushed the couch in the living room to the desired placement, wiping the sweat from her brow. She looks out as her children play in the garden, making her smile warmly at the sigh.
She then sensed something calling out to her, making her turn. She looks at the wall in the living room and she could make an outline of a small square shape indent behind the rose printed wallpaper.
Is that… a door?