Chapter 360: Family?

"Looks like she's finally asleep"

Austin spoke as he held the sleeping baby in his arms, right now the entire 'family' was seated around the dining table, Catherine by his side while the two little girls sat on the other side of Austin,

"Isn't it time we get to the bottom of this?"

Catherine asked to which Austin nodded his head, he looked towards the two girls that were seated with discipline and excitement as he spoke,

"Who wants breakfast?"

"Me!"

"Me!"

The two twins called out to which Austin kept his gentle smile as he spoke,

"Then the one that correctly keeps answering my question will get their favorite food, got it?"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Hearing so Austin turned towards Catherine who too looked at him and nodded her head, giving him the power to take the initiative here. So he turned his head back at the little girls as he asked with a gentle smile on his face,

"So what are your names?"

Austin asked in a playful yet serious voice, taking on the action that this is nothing more than a small fun drill,

"Name?...."

The two girls asked at the same time confusion filling their voices, seeing so Austin looked at Catherine who too had the same doubt as him, he came back to the girls and he asked another question,

"What is my name?"

"Daddy is daddy...."

The girls replied to which Austin had an inner frown in him, keeping the gentle smile he pointed to Catherine as he asked,

"What is your mother's name?"

"Mommy is mommy..."

Hearing the reply the two turned silent, Austin once again started to fire his questions,

"So, you two love the outside, right?"

"Outside....?"

"What's the best game?"

"Hide and seek!"

"What's the best cream?'

"Ice cream!"

"How long have we been here?"

This question stumped the two girls who raised their hands up, while they started to count, one by one their fingers disappeared down counting but even till now they hadn't found the right answer, after about what seemed to be a minute the maroon-haired girl spoke,

"Um....hundred.....thousand?"

She spoke in doubt, hearing so both Austin's and Catherine's eyes widened, from here on out the two of them kept asking different questions, trying to understand the best of their current circumstance, after a half an hour of questioning Austin spoke,

"Now the two of you can go can play, I will call when the food is ready"

"Okay!"

Saying so the two children ran off while Austin and Catherine sat there in heavy silence,

"Just what's going on?"

Catherine finally spoke, confusion filling her entire voice, while Austin sat beside her with the same confused look on his face,

"Are you sure, this is not a dream?"

Catherine stressed this question,

"I am sure, this is definitely not a dream or illusion"

Austin replied with a grave voice that turned Catherine silent,

"Just why do they look like us and what happened when we fell forcefully asleep?"

Austin asked the question that was on Catherine's mind,

"Just what could this tri-cough....cough"

As Catherine was speaking suddenly she started to cough, her hand holding her mouth and some blood started to sip from her lips,

"Catherine!"

Austin in pain rushed towards her as he held her body tight and close, one of his hands patting her back while his other hand held the baby as he waited for her shivers to stop, a few seconds later they did,

"Are you okay? is it the poison?"

He asked to which Catherine weakly nodded her head, she leaning onto Austin as she spoke,

"Looks like I don't have much time left"

"Don't say that didn't I promise you? I will heal you for sure"

Austin replied as he made sure that Catherine was feeling better,

"Looks like I disturbed the baby"

Catherine spoke as she eyed the little baby now squirming in Austin's hands,

"It would seem that she can't handle seeing her mother's painful coughs"

Austin replied in a teasing tone, making Catherine chuckle a little, the pain making her wince while she felt her body get even weaker than before, Austin's words unknowingly cementing in her mind that the kids are her children and that she's a mother,

"Why don't you take some rest and look after her? I will make some food and we will deal with all this after having some good food"

To Austin's words, Catherine nodded her head as she took the baby into her arms, making a delicate and careful action, after placing the baby with Catherine he moved towards the kitchen, making some light healthy breakfast after which he called the two girls who were playing back, with just his words the two twins came to the dining room as their eyes sparkled at food in front of them,

"Come, let's eat together"

Saying so the two girls, Austin and Catherine with the baby started to dive into the food, the atmosphere around the house becoming as bright as it could be as a homely aura started to surround the dining room, it was further heightened by laughter after the two twin girls played some pranks.

An hour later everyone was full, and Austin took the plates to the kitchen and washed them, when he returned he was met the the beautiful scene of Catherine playing with the baby in her arms, as her eyes kept sparkling and bursting with joy from the cute noises the baby girl made,

'Looks like I have my work cut out for me'

Austin thought as he walked up to Catherine and played around a bit, sticking to the character that should be, he didn't even mention the fact that Catherine was no longer even pushing the kids away, and just after a few hours of meeting the kids she was considering them as their own and acting like a mother.

A sharp contrast from her sharp-minded self that isn't easily influenced by her surroundings or emotions, it was as if she's easily forgetting her identity and falling into this drama that was surrounding them,

'It looks like the fortification has begun'

Austin thought as he saw the girls running after him and hugging him,

"Daddy let's go play!"

The maroon-colored little girl spoke,

"Sure"

"Yay!"

The two girls jumped for joy at the answer as they started to play around, the game the three played around with was hide and seek as the girls ran around while Austin had to find them, after some time Catherine joined the game, with the four of them playing around like family, in between this the baby suddenly woke up forcing Austin to make another batch of warm milk.

After this, the entire 'family' sat around the living hall as they played some board games, by the end of it the little twins were sleepy as they fell asleep on Austin's shoulder,

"Looks like the children as asleep"

Catherine said with a warm gaze as she looked at the twins happily sleeping on Austin's shoulder, their hands tightly clutched onto him,

"Yeah"

He replied as he took the two to their rooms and laid them down, covering them up with a blanket after placing two kisses on their forehead,

"Today was a fun day"

Catherine spoke like a homely wife as she too placed a kiss on the kid's forehead, soon the two placed the baby in its crib after which they walked up to the stairs and into their room, two of them entered inside as they lay on the bed, naturally like a good wife Catherine placed her head on Austin's shoulder and hugged his tight as she began to sleep, while Austin hugged her back with a smile on his face.

Minutes later Catherine fell asleep, while Austin too soon followed, a few minutes later a single black eye opened in the room as it gazed at the duo, it snickered in cold intent after which it disappeared, though it failed to notice that after it left Austin opened his eyes a a certain green glow sparkled in his eyes.