Beast Ch. 10

Several days later, as they drove down to Ft Campbell Kentucky to have the last of the bandages removed, Ashleigh intertwined her fingers with his. She was scared, she didn't know what to expect. All she knew is that no matter what she would love him.

They held hands as they headed for Dr. Singh's office and Ashleigh felt his grip tighten a bit. She knew that Chris was nervous and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Dr. Singh didn't make them wait and they were surprised that a webcam was set up directly to Dr. Weitz's office. There were also several other doctors in attendance and Christopher was informed that he would be the subject of an article on severe cleft palates in adults.

His response was an embarrassed shrug. "I never liked getting my picture taken but if it'll help others." Ashleigh noted that his country drawl was more pronounced and she had to fight not to run up to him and throw herself into his arms. Maybe she was a perv but she had grown accustomed to seeing her over-sized fiancé wearing a mask. It was kind of sexy and she joked that he should take up wrestling and then they sat around making up funny names for his pro wrestling career. The winner was El Bestia!

She tried to stand back out of the way as Christopher sat on a stool with a light shining in his face but Dr. Singh wouldn't have that and wanted her to stand right next to him so that she could see every move that was made.

Using surgical scissors, Dr. Singh made a cut upward from Christopher's jaw near his ear to his hairline. He did the same on the other side and removed the material from the back of Christopher's hair. Dark red curls sprung up and Ashleigh grinned. She couldn't wait to run her fingers through his silky curls, maybe he'd let it grow out for a while before going back to the military cut.

Christopher watched Ashleigh's anxious expression. The only thing he cared about is that she would like the results. He felt the mask loosen and Dr. Singh removed it from his hair. He wanted to reach up and run his nails through his scalp and scratch like an old hound dog, but resisted. He held a mirror in his lap but closed his eyes when the Doctor had him tilt his head back so that he could remove the rest of the mask from his face.

He used some sort of probe to loosen it from his chin and Christopher knew that he would have a fairly thick beard as a barrier between his skin and the mask. It's where the mask touched skin that it pulled some. The pain was negligible, though, after the torture of having his skull rebuilt and his face peeled back, not to mention having a brand new nose forced into place. He held his breath as the mask was loosened around his lips and nose. The doctor tediously ran the probe around the circumference of the mask, still allowing it to stay in place. The room was so quiet that the only sound heard was the breathing of the occupants of the room.

"Are you ready Lieutenant?"

"I been ready." Everyone chuckled at his response.

He opened his eyes and looked at Ashleigh who gave him an encouraging smile. Dr. Singh lifted the cotton and cloth adhesive mask from his face and his skin began to tingle as the cool air met his freshly uncovered skin.

No one said a thing. Dr. Singh used the probe and lifted the bandage over his nose and that did pull and sting a bit. When that was removed Dr. Singh moved back on his stool and just stared. Christopher looked at Ashleigh and was only met with a look of confusion. His brow furrowed at the way they were looking at him, so quiet. He suddenly remembered the mirror and quickly lifted it to see what they were seeing.

Christopher's eyes widened. He brought the mirror closer and squinted and then pulled it back trying to take in everything at once. He couldn't remove his eyes from the sight before him.

His face was perfect.

He looked at Ashleigh again and she had tears in her eyes. She smiled and quickly wiped them away.

"Hi Christopher."

He smiled. "Hi Ashleigh." And then he reached out and pulled her into his arms. She kissed his lips and then burst out into tears.

"Them happy tears, babe?" He asked a bit worried.

She nodded enthusiastically. She pulled back and laughed and placed the palms of her hands on his bearded cheeks.

Ashleigh was in a state of utter disbelief. Not only had they corrected his cleft palate but they had given him the nose that his deformation had taken, they had repaired the concaved look that had caused him to have a gorilla appearance and they had given him a beautiful set of full lips. And Ashleigh was hard pressed to see any scars, just something that looked like faint creases which were easy to overlook.

His perfectly chiseled face was covered in a thick, rich auburn moustache and beard and with the frame of his dark red hair he looked like a rugged lumber jack. Ashleigh's heart began to thump rapidly in her chest. To her, he was the most perfectly beautiful man that she'd ever seen. Even with his unruly hair and unkempt beard, Christopher looked like a movie star.

Dr. Weitz could be heard from the video feed. "Perfect."

Dr. Singh lifted his curls and examined his hairline and he and Dr. Weitz conferred back in forth using technical terms that Ashleigh and Christopher quickly lost interest in. She held his hands and stared at him in amazement. He chuckled at the sheer surprise on her face and then he lifted the mirror and studied his features again.

The face was familiar to him though he'd never seen it before. It was the face of his family; the similarities that each person in his bloodline had. He could see his dead brother Wayne and he could see his Daddy and Butch and his other siblings and aunts and cousins. He smiled to think that this face might even look a bit like the baby that was growing in Ashleigh. He was thankful that Dr. Weitz had not tried to make him look like some stranger but just what he had always meant to be...well maybe with a few improvements. And that was fine by him.

"This...feels like a dream." He said while staring at his reflection. His eyes moved to Ashleigh, his mouth standing slightly ajar. "Is this real?" He felt an emotional well of tears in his eyes and alarmed he quickly blinked them away. "It looks good. I can't believe how good it looks."

Ashleigh squeezed his hands. "Christopher, YOU look good. That's you, baby, all you."

He looked into the mirror again and let out a deep breath filled with pent up emotion. His; his nose, his lips, his almost invisible scars. This was...him.

Dr. Singh and the other attendants discreetly moved away to allow him to become acquainted with his new looks. They continued to confer with each other in quiet tones.

He looked at Ashleigh again and saw that she was equally emotional. "This is not freaking you out, is it Sweetheart? I know I look like a different person-"

She could no longer resist the urge to run her hands through his silky curls. She hugged him against her and sighed. "I'm far from freaked out." He was different but she could still see her Christopher there, familiar and comforting. His eyes were still the warm dark and light that mesmerized her, and when he smiled up at her his lip twisted in that familiar crooked smile of his.

No. She hadn't needed him to change. But he had needed it.

They spent more time than either of them wanted taking pictures of his new face and receiving instructions on care. But Christopher couldn't even think about heading back home until he had visited with his commander.

"Ashleigh, do you care? I don't know when I'll see him again." Soon he'd be released and Christopher wanted to tell him about his meeting with the team. He also wanted to show off his face. The Commander was a pivotal part of him looking brand new and he wanted to share it.

"Not at all." She actually wanted to see the Commander again. He had been nice to her. Christopher had forgotten that he hadn't explained about the Commander's injuries and when they were invited into the room, her face dropped at the sight of what remained of his arm.

Bruce Kopke looked from Ashleigh to Christopher. "You got to be shittin' me..." His mouth was hanging open in complete surprise.

Ashleigh perched herself on the side of his bed and Christopher was surprised that she talked to him like he was an old friend. And he could have hit the floor when the old sob smiled and blushed when Ashleigh leaned forward to kiss his cheek goodbye.

"I'm not surprised that the team doesn't want to lose you, Beast." The Commander spoke as they headed out the door.

Christopher grinned. "I'm not Beast anymore."

Bruce cocked his head in surprise. "You do know that we called you Beast because of how you are out on the field, right? The way you went through Crucible and everything else you tackle is what makes you a beast."

Christopher shrugged. "I guess I didn't know that. But it didn't bother me. I don't mind being called Beast by you guys..." He left the rest unsaid and headed out of the room.

Ashleigh slipped her hand in his as they walked out of the medical facility. She glanced at him and considered how wrong it was that she so desperately wanted to make love. Why did it feel a little bit like she was cheating on him? Would he be jealous if she...liked his face?

Two women walked past them as they walked hand and hand to the car and both began squealing and giggling. They looked behind them and Ashleigh saw that the two grown women were almost tripping over their feet craning their necks to look at Christopher.

"He is so hot!" They were whispering and giggling. Ashleigh rolled her eyes and Christopher looked at her in surprise.

"Did you hear that? They said I was hot?"

"Baby," She heard herself whine. "Didn't I always make you feel like you were hot?" Crap, she hated the sound of insecurity in her voice. This was not a repeat of DeAngelo. Christopher wasn't waiting to bang every good looking girl that passed him by. Christopher didn't want her to be his fluffy girl and she would never ever be a fluffy girl again.

Christopher reached over, tilted her chin up and studied her eyes. "Ash, I love you. I'll never want another woman, do you understand? You are all I've ever wanted." She nodded and tried to smile. "What's wrong sweetheart? Are you sure that my face doesn't bother you?"

"It's not that. Christopher I love your face so much!" She said in a rush. "Oh baby, but I don't love the old you any less. I swear it-"

He threw his head back and began to laugh. "Oh Ashleigh, honey, I want you to totally accept my new looks! I did it for you, for us!" He leaned forward and gently kissed her. "You're the one that reminded me that this face is all me." Ashleigh's eyes closed as she eagerly returned his kiss. Oh god, she wanted him so badly. He gave her one last peck before withdrawing. She noticed that his grey eyes had darkened.

"We have to go visit Mom and Dad. They are going to be anxious." He said, either trying to convince her or to convince himself.

"Oh...yeah. Of course." Damnit, she wanted to jump into the next available dark corner and bang the hell out of him!

"We won't stay long," he promised.

"No. We should. They're just as anxious about the surgery as we are."

He gripped her hand and led her to the car. While they drove he touched his lips and nose and she would catch him smiling to himself. When he realized that he was being watched he blushed.

"I'm not being vain, but I just can't believe this face is mine." He chuckled.

She was watching him and hiding her smile. "You sorta look like that guy who played Thor, except with red hair."

He scowled. "No. You think?"

"A little. But better."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. He glanced at her and gave her a crooked grin and she saw him, her old Christopher, so clearly in the new angles of his face.

"God, I love you." She whispered.

The smile slid from his face. "Mom and Dad can wait..." He changed lanes and drove towards the next exit. "I need you now."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm finding a hotel. You need to eat, I need to shower and shave, but first," he gave her a smoky look. "You need to cum. I know when my baby needs to cum."

Her eyes got big and she squirmed in her seat. Wow, he was talking dirty. Yum.

They quickly located a Highway Inn which didn't look appropriate for more than what they wanted it for. Christopher checked them into a small dingy room. Ashleigh pulled the comforter from the bed, allowing it to land on the floor where it surely belonged. When she turned Christopher was standing right there. He lifted her easily and sat her on the blankets.

Christopher came out of his shirt and Ashleigh resisted the urge to run her hands along his muscular chest. He kicked out of his shoes and pulled off his jeans and boxers. She gasped. He was already so hard that his big thick shaft was nearly purple.

Moving quickly she squirmed out of her clothes while he watched her. She was aware of exactly where his eyes landed on every part of her body.

His eyes rested on hers. "I want to do this right..." he went down on his knees before the bed and she shuddered in anticipation, spreading her legs wide for him. The sight of her soft, wet flesh swelling from her brown lips caused Christopher's salivary glands to go into overdrive. He loved Ashleigh's pussy; the way it smelled, the way it looked the way it tasted. He quickly lowered his lips to her mound and he licked and sucked until she was whimpering and gyrating uncontrollably.

Her hands slipped into his hair, but instead of gripping it she rubbed him gently holding him in place while she gyrated against his face. He rubbed his beard against her flesh and she arched to meet it. The friction was incredible! She suddenly bucked.

"No! Don't make me cum. In me baby, inside of me, please!"

Christopher quickly moved up the bed until he was covering her body. She ran her hands over his taut body while he guided himself into her wet and ready opening. Ashleigh's eyes closed and her lips parted.

"Ohh..." She cried. "Oh, Chris..."

Christopher squeezed his eyes closed fighting to control his strokes; steady, not too hard, not to slow. His baby liked it fast. He dipped his head and sought her plump brown nipple. He sucked her into his mouth and it was the move that brought her over the edge. Ashleigh gripped his back, her fingers dug in while her legs closed tightly around him.

Christopher gasped as her hot satiny walls clenched around him, squeezing him and pulling him inside of her further.

"Yes! Ashleigh, cum, baby!" He growled as he drove into her faster. He could feel her body shaking. He didn't know if all women did that but his Ashleigh did. Her shaking intensified until she let loose one last shriek of pleasure. With that sound and the intense pulsing that gripped him, Chris allowed his own cry of pleasure to mix with hers.

Christopher clutched the blankets in his fists and grunted his release into Ashleigh's still pulsing body. "Oh my god..." He said as he allowed his body to collapse partially over hers. "So good..." he murmured.

All she could do was lay there and stroke his curls and his shoulders and his back. He rolled onto his side and stared down at her. She reached up and silently ran her finger over the bridge of his nose, and then allowing it to dip down into the cleft of his lip before she traced his upper lip. Christopher closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her fingers on his face.

"I love when you do that." He whispered. He grasped her wrist lightly and returned her fingers to his lips where he kissed each fingertip. "I never thought I'd have this."

She inhaled a shaky breathe. "Me either."

~***~

Sharing his face with his family was like watching each of them open a valued present at Christmas. Christopher never realized how much his scars had so profoundly affected everyone until every single person that had come to his Mom and Dad's house cried tears of joy for him. His mother was shaking and she kept touching his face. His father shed tears as well, but mostly because he thought Chris was Walt. And he kept saying that he knew Walt wasn't dead, that his boy had come back. Christopher just buried his head against his father's chest and let him think that he was Walt.

By the time they got home later in the evening, Christopher was emotionally drained. He dragged himself into bed but Ashleigh wasn't ready for sleep. She changed into shorts and a sports bra and then went into the workout room. Maggie yawned and hopped up on the weight bench and watched as Ashleigh got on the treadmill. It had been days since she had run but once the endorphins released into her system, she got lost in the joy of her muscles working; tightening and loosening with each pound of her feet against the treadmill. It became a song for her, this sound of her running. Ashleigh didn't even remember that once upon a time she had thought women who ran the treadmill like she now did were peculiar. Once upon a time, Ashleigh had thought a lot of things.

The next day Christopher made Ashleigh's protein shake and dropped her off at work promising to pick her up in the evening so that they could go wedding ring shopping. Ashleigh gave him a lingering kiss and hurried down into the subbasement for her workout. This was her gym, hers and Christopher's. It's how she would forever think of this place. She didn't even worry about that creepy guy showing up because she knew that Christopher's team would be watching her and making sure she stayed safe.

She entered the room, turned on the lights and then slipped a cd into the disc player; George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelics. She loved Christopher's music but it was nice to mix some good funk into the workout. She turned to the treadmill and paused. Resting on the handles was an army fatigue hat and folded shirt. On top of the neat bundle was a folded piece of paper. She reached for the paper, looking around curiously. Written across it were two words; LITTLE TROOPER.

Ashleigh grinned. She placed the hat on her head and unfolded the shirt. It had USMC written across the front just like Christopher's shirts, only this one was a whole lot smaller. Ashleigh looked up at the little camera nestled in the ceiling and tilted her head at it in thanks.

Lance and Ashleigh couldn't wait until the end of the day so that they could walk out to Christopher's truck to get a look at his new face. He wasn't in his truck but standing out front talking to TK. Ashleigh immediately recognized the black man decked out in sunglasses even though she had never officially been introduced to him.

While Kendra and Lance gushed over Christopher, Ashleigh gave her attention to the man.

"Hello...?"

"Lieutenant Kennedy, Ma'am." He tilted his head at her and looked like he was ready to salute then he relaxed. "But everybody calls me TK."

"TK." She smiled. "Thanks for helping me when that idiot wouldn't leave me alone."

"Not a problem. Did you like the shirt and hat? The guys...well they wanted to give that to you." He looked suddenly embarrassed.

"I like it a lot." She showed Christopher her gifts when he looked at her curiously. "Can you tell the guys thanks for me?"

"I will. See you tomorrow."

"Uh..."

TK chuckled as he went into the building. "I know, you won't see me, but I'll see you."

"Ok, that was creepy." She mumbled with a chuckle when he was gone. But it was also sweet. After a few more minutes of gushing over Christopher, Kendra and Lance headed to the parking lot. Christopher looked after them thoughtfully.

"I can't wait until your belly is big like Kendra's."

Ashleigh grimaced before it switched automatically to a smile. "That part is going to be hard but...it'll be worth it."

Christopher stooped down to kiss her. "Yes it will. Ready to go do some engagement ring shopping? There are some nice jewelry stores right on this street."