Initial Plot (First Contact)

The car pulled up, Austin's house standing proud through the window, inviting him in. He exited the car and saw Thomas had done the same. Austin rested his elbows on the hood of the car and gazed in Thomas' direction. His brows raised.

"I have to apologize to your wife for taking you away so soon." He said cheerfully.

Austin became defensive. His entire body rooted in position. He gave Thomas his usual smirk. "You think a woman accepts such apologies?" Austin jested.

"I give her permission to vent her anger on me for separating her from her husband." He responded as he strolled of towards the house.

Austin sighed inwardly and went along with it. He knew he would have to inform Thomas sooner or later about his marriage but then again, confessionals were not his forte.

Austin was two or three steps behind Thomas and by the time he had caught up Thomas had already rang the bell. Abigail answered the door, her entire body fidgeting as she saw Austin.

"You're back!" there was a nervous twinge to her voice and Austin's guard was up. She hadn't even moved from the doorway to grant them entrance.

"What is it?" there were no signs of patience in Austin's voice. She was silent, her lips parting soundlessly.

"Where is Skylar?" her face seemed to turn as white as a sheet.

"I tried to forbid her but she is adamant. She locked me out of the kitchen and insisted that she prepared the meals tonight." The woman finally unblocked the doorway. Thomas smirked behind Austin.

"I am liking her already." He patted Austin's shoulder as he eased through the door and made his way into the house as Austin stood outside.

Austin returned his attention to Abigail. " Thomas is joining us for dinner tonight. See to it that Skylar is dressed and ready to join us in an hour.

She stared at him hopelessly. He smirked, "Just say it."

"She won't come out if I call, she'll think we are tricking her." She said in a rush. Austin smiled that sly way that his muscles have come to realise as his default setting. He walked off towards the kitchen and knocked twice on the door. His hand sliding into his pocket while he waited a response.

None came and he knocked again, this time more forcefully.

"I told you guys to go away! I am not coming out to sit around like some sort of useless ornament! I am preparing the meals and that's that. I could care less about Austin's approval." Her voice travelled through, the full effect of it muffled by the walls between us

Her outburst thrilled Austin just a bit. He appreciated a challenge. Who knew she had it in her? He took a few seconds to check the smile sculpted by his lips and he responded in a cool deep voice.

"You may not care for my approval dear wife, but I recommend you relinquish your attempt at rebellion, especially since we have a guest." Austin heard nothing, it was as if the world itself had been rid of all sound. He heard the lock twinge and the door stood ajar.

"Hi." She said with a nervous smile, her fingers intertwined and she annoyingly enough looked at his straight in the eye. That contemptible part of his contemplated ways to encourage her to be incapable of looking at him directly. To feel embarrassed at the way their bodies could incite sensations upon the other.

Austin mentally kicked these notions out. This woman was someone he could never care for. She had aligned herself with a man he despised more than the devil himself. A man so reckless and inconsiderate that he could only apportion guilt towards her for affiliating with him. A person would be judged based on the company he kept and her company did her no justice, and earned her no sympathy.

"You cook?" he questioned. She studied him, her entire face shifting and contorting along with her thoughts.

"You assumed I couldn't?" she countered. He decided to tease her. He couldn't stop that default expression from taking hold and he knew he looked mischievous.

"What I assume is that since you do not occupy my bed you have decided to occupy my kitchen." She stared at him, her lips sculpting a discrete O. She seemed to regain her wits, entirely avoiding his jest. Yet his mind had paved a road to that night years ago. To be honest he preferred her to occupy his bed, food be damned.

"I have a bone to pick with you." She seemed energized.

"Oh." He responded disinterestedly, but his eyes were focused on the flicker of flour that dusted her forehead. Something about the scene was homey. But it was something he could no longer genuinely attain.

"You need to tell the staff not to treat me as if I am glass! If I want to help out around here I should be allowed to." She requested strongly. This request rubbed Austin the wrong way. Which woman didn't want to be waited on hand and foot?

"Did you forget that you are pregnant?" he countered.

"Pregnant, not suffering from some physical or mental infirmary." She rebutted but he said nothing.

"I am so bored doing nothing, these two days felt like two years. Our relationship is hardly a conventional one, you shouldn't get to dictate how I spend my days." She pleaded. If Austin had wanted her to distance herself from household chores his mind, no matter the consequence would be unchangeable. Just then Abigail arrived to take over in the kitchen.

He didn't know what had possessed him but he gave in. Wasn't that what marriage was about, give and take?

"Mrs Abigail, starting from this moment, Mrs Cyner is allowed to do any such activities that may make her stay here bearable." Austin saw Skylar's eyes burn with an awe-inspiring intensity, he hadn't predicted her instinctual leap into his arms and he was stationary.

Abigail lowered her head and smiled while muttering her acceptance.

Skylar immediately realising her mistake unwrapped her arms from his neck in such a manner that he could have sworn she was trying to get away from something poisonous.

"I will get dressed for dinner." She said as Abigail ran off once more. "And Austin, I do occupy your bed." She responded to him bluntly and scurried of. He smiled, wondering how she had become so chatty when he had just left her for two days.