Shades of Chase (English Version)

Chapter 31

Reil immediately ambled down the couch and rushed towards our direction as soon as Mama opened the door. We found them sitting on the living room, a bag of Cheetos was placed in the center table and the voices of Paw Patrol's characters were playing from the television.

"Daddy!" Reil exclaimed and threw his tiny arms around Chase's neck.

He chuckled and gave his son a comforting hug. "You missed us, kiddo?"

Reil nodded one after another before breaking away from his father's embrace. He stared at his father's eyes and smiled innocently.

"I thought you're not gonna come back anymore. I thought you will leave me like what my mommy did." The curve of his lips suddenly bend down as if he's about to cry.

Chase and I looked at each other. His jaw suddenly clenched when he anchored his eyes back to Reil. For a moment, I thought he's about to switch but when he bow his head down and leaned his forehead against Reil's little shoulder, I concluded that maybe... he just couldn't take seeing the sadness in his son's eyes.

When Chase raised his head, his eyes became bloodshot. I averted my gaze because as it took me a while to gradually get to know his personality, I know when he was having a hard time with the situation.

"Daddy would never leave you. Always remember that, hmm?"

He kissed his forehead and it lasted for almost ten seconds. Reil grabbed Chase's hand that was on his cheek and gently lowered it. He slipped out of his embrace and stared into his eyes.

"Can we already live in the same house, Daddy?"

Chase and I looked at each other again. If he has plans of living with Reil in the same house, they will surely live in his penthouse. If he had sold his real house, he had no choice but to stay there for the time being.

"Do you want to?" tanong ni Chase sa anak.

Reil's eyes suddenly brightened. "Of course, Daddy! And I want to have Mama Mercy and Aunt Tanya to come with us. Is it okay with you?"

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Better ask them, son."
Reil looked at me. I haven't thought about that yet so I just can't decide yet. I glanced at Mama and saw that she is already looking at me.

"Please, Mama Mercy. I want to be with you and Aunt Tanya in the same house." I heard Reil said.

Mom smiled sparingly at him before turning to me. "I'm fine with it. If it would make the child happy then so be it. But is it okay with you Chase that we come along?"

I glanced at Chase and he's smiling at her. "That's what I want too, Aunt Mercy."

Reil suddenly clapped his hands and jumped a bit. He even threw his hands back to Chase's neck and hugged him tight.

"Oh, I forgot, Daddy! I have a new toy. Let me show it to you." Reil said anxiously after letting go of Chase.

Chase chuckled and nodded his head. "Show me then."

Reil ran to our room. Chase took that chance to stand up from squatting. He then faced me and pulled me by my waist for a hug.

"Thank you..." he whispered.

I smiled. "What for?"

"For granting Reil's wish to live with us. Thanks to you and Aunt Mercy."

I caressed his back and smiled. "I'll do everything for your son, Chase. And for you too."

I felt his body suddenly freeze. He didn't answer right away which caused me to frown. I was about to break from our hug when he suddenly pulled me closer to him as if he's trying to stop me from making any move.

"You're not serious about him. You're just gonna fool him like those other women. I know your kind, Tanya. You can't fool me."

I was unable to move like those mannequins I saw in the mall when I heard those words. I tried to calm myself for I already know who I was talking to. Instead of freaking out, I embraced him with so much gentle and caressed his back in the most comforting way I can.

"I'm not going to fool Chase, Theo. I love him and who he is. I'm ready to accept you. But please, don't come out first. Reil still won't understand about his father's condition, this is not the right time to tell him about you and all of Chase's alters.

He did not answer. Again there was silence between us. It's then a couple of minutes had passed when I heard a heavy sigh from him.

"It's hard to stop Theo now. I don't understand."

That natural accent of his voice made me conclude that it's now Chase. I slowly broke free from his embrace and faced his. For a moment I looked over his shoulder and see if my mom was there.

I simply sighed when I saw her coming out of the kitchen with some plates as she prepares the table. I was worried that she might have heard what Theo had said earlier. She doesn't know yet about Chase and his alters.

I looked back to Chase and gave him a small smile as he stared into my eyes.

"You didn't feel scared?" he asked, a bit amused.

"Where?"

"Switching..."

I shook my head. "I was scared at first but it didn't last long. But why does it seem that Theo is mad at me, Chase?"

He sighed and brought his hand on my cheek. He caressed it with his thumb as if he wants to comfort me for some reason.

"You are his trigger, Allison."

My brows furrowed at that. "M-Me? Why me? I did not do anything—"

"Daddy!"

Reil's shout interrupted what I'm about to say. We both looked at him as he ran towards us with a small box on his hand. Chase squatted and leveled his son.

"Look what I've got, Daddy! It's Woody! He's my favorite character from Toy Story aside from Buzz Lightyear."

The toy's looks pretty expensive. Maybe my mom brought him to a toy store and let him have the toy as a present.

"Wow! I love Woody, too! Can I borrow it?"

My eyes widened when I heard Chase's voice changed as if it had been diminished and tinged with excitement. He's looking at the toy Reil is holding with excitement flashing in his eyes.

I gulped and tried to clear my throat. I squatted in front of Chase and moved a little closer to his ear.

"Richard, you can play with the toy later, but please not now. Chase is in front of his son. Please."

I tried to whisper those words in the most subtle way I can, in which Reil wouldn't be able to hear me.

Richard faced me and blinked his eyes innocently. He nodded his head for a few times.

"Okay. I'm sorry. But promise me I'll play his toy, too." he whispered too on my ear.

I even glanced at Reil and was secretly thankful that he was busy playing with his toy.

"Promise, Richard."

As soon as I said that, he bows his head and shut his eyes. It was only a brief moment and he immediately looked up. He first stared into my eyes and gave me an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about it. It's his favorite." Chase apologized.

I know I have to get used in these situations when I'm with Chase. There are things that trigger his alters and I can't do anything to stop them. It's just that, I don't think it's right for them to just come out whenever they want to. How was that affect Reil when they decide to show up? He'll surely get confused. How will I be able to answer him when that happens?

If his condition if lifetime, then maybe we can at least find a way to limit their sudden appearances.

I caressed Chase's hand and didn't bother to speak anymore. When I looked at Reil he was still happily staring at his toy.

"Did you went to the mall with Mama and bought the toy, Reil?"

He lifted his head and looked at me. He shook his head.

"No, Ate Tanya. I saw a gift on the door this morning. It has my name written on a small card so I assumed that it's for me. Mama Mercy was taking a bath that time so I took the box and brought it to our room. And this is what I found out!"
Chase and I looked at each other, his thick eyebrows already furrowed. Mama came out of the kitchen, now carrying a white bowl.

"Ma..." I said stealing her attention from preparing the table. She looked up at us. "You weren't the one who bought Reil's toy?"

She frowned and looked at Reil who was now facing her, waiting for her response. Her eyes then transferred to the box of toy he's holding at.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. We didn't even get out of the house since yesterday. Why, where did it came from?"

"I told them that I saw this outside the door this morning. I thought this is for me since it has my name on it."

Shiver run from my chest through my entire body. Mom and I looked at each other before I looked back at Chase.

"Azriel," Chase called him, his voice was stern.

He then looked at his father, eyes blinking several times.

"Daddy?"

"Is Woody your favorite toy ever since?"

He nodded his head several times. "Yes Daddy, he is."

"Who else knows that he's your favorite character?"

"Mommy. She knew that I love to watch Toy Story."

The cold shiver spread from my feet up to my palm. Chase turned his gaze to me, eyes dark. Right at this moment, I know that our minds are silently communicating. I'm certain we have the same thought running on our minds.

He stood up, tilted slightly and brought himself closer to me.

"This toy has something to do with Colleen." he said, stating what's on my mind too.

The night came and my mind was still occupied with the possibility that Riel's toy had come from Colleen. On a positive thought, maybe she's just missing her son. Because no matter what happens, he's still her son and nothing can change that.

Maybe, she didn't have the guts to give it personally because she knew the last time we talked wasn't really pleasant.
I don't want to think badly of her despite the way he treated Reil back then. Instead, I want to think that she somehow realized her mistake as a mother and wants to make it up with her son.

I hope that's the case.

"Don't think too much about that, Chase. I'm pretty sure Colleen had no bad intentions on giving your son a gift."

Chase gently stroke my long hair. I was sitting on his lap while we're on the terrace. He decided to spend the rest of the night here and sleep with Reil. Mama immediately agreed with it.

"It's hard to think of that knowing what she did to Reil. I don't want to believe it." His voice was stern when he said that.

"But you also can't think he did that because he had bad intentions for the child."

He took a deep breath and focused his eyes on me.

"I bought a house for us..."

I blinked my eyes. "You did? Where?"

"Along Makati. I hope it's fine with you. I'll show it to you tomorrow so you can check it. If there's something you didn't like or want to change, tell it to me right away."

I chuckled. "Is my opinion that important?"

He raised his brow as if he couldn't believe what I just asked him.

"Your opinion always matter to me. That house will be our home, Allison. I want you to have a touch of it. I honestly want to know what it feels like having a family waiting for me as I come home from work every day."

I could see the sadness in Chase's eyes. I knew when he was young that he had no family to go home to since he lost them in a very tragic way, and I didn't want to deprive him of that.

I caressed his cheek and gave him a light kiss on the lips. When I looked at him, his eyes were gloomy.


"Don't worry. Reil and I will always be there whenever you go home to that house, after a busy day at work."

He nodded, a smile etched on his lips. He caressed my waist and pulled me even closer to him. The side of my body was almost leaning against him, my head resting on his shoulder. He gently caresses my arm causing me to feel a little drowsy.

"Baby, are you on pills?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I'm not taking any."

"I'm not a sharp shooter then."

I laughed at his disappointed tone. "Why did you ask?"

"I've been wondering why you're not still getting pregnant. We've been doing it for a couple of times already."

Whether it's Chase, Theo or Allistair I've been with during the times we've been doing that, it's still the same body and he's right, we've done that many times. Why am I still not pregnant?

"You want to impregnate me, Chase?"

He brought his hand over my tummy and gently stroked it.

"Despite my situation, I badly want to have a family with you. I'll marry you and we'll give Azriel his little brothers and sisters."

I smiled, inevitably forming a scene in my mind about the possibility.

"Uh, fuck. Theo wants to go out again."

That very moment, Theo did go out. Just like previously, he was angry again and didn't seem to agree with Chase's decision to start a family.

I noticed that whenever Chase and I talk about our relationship, he always comes out and seems mad at me. I couldn't understand why he seem to abhor the idea of us having a family.

Theo's the villain in our relationship.

I woke up to feel someone poking my arm. I was awakened seeing Reil sitting between Chase and me while looking ahead.

"Reil, why?" I asked in a low voice, still a bit sleepy.

It was already midnight when Chase and I entered the room from our conversation on the terrace. It was now three o'clock in the morning according to the wall clock. When I looked back at Chase he was still sleeping soundly and seemed to ignore the noise of Reil and me.

"Aunt, I think I saw someone standing on the door..."

"What?"

I peeked in the direction of the door and slowly got up. I saw no one there, the area was clean and without any remnants or shadow.

"There's no one there, Reil. You're probably dreaming."

He shook his head. "No, Aunt Tanya. I saw a tall man standing in the door. He immediately ran away when he saw that I was trying to wake you up."

My chest throbbed. I looked at the door again, feeling the hair on the nape of my neck rise.

"What's wrong?" Chase asked, his voice was gruffly from sleep.

I looked at him and he's already sitting like us. He frowned, seeming to wonder why we were awake at dawn.

"Reil said he saw a man standing in the doorway earlier ..." I informed him.

His eyebrows furrowed as he turned to face his son. He stared at him as if he's confirming what I said. Reil nodded his head. That signaled for Chase to immediately remove the blanket from his leg and get off the bed.

"Stay here with Reil, Allison." he said darkly before walking out of the door.