Abaddon intentionally snuck home so that he could surprise his family.
However, he was in for a small disappointment when he realized that it was the dead of night and his family was likely already in bed.
He quite had his sights on seeing them so that he could give them a good surprise at his early returned.
Especially his youngest.
Feeling a bit undeterred, Abaddon decided to visit the children's wing just so that he could poke his head in and admire his children as they slept.
But he forgot that not all of his children were actual children anymore and turned around immediately after sensing a particular 'activity' going on in Thea and Belloc's rooms.
If he didn't need to lay down before, he surely did now.
He travelled back to his own wing with silent footsteps and a heart full of anticipation.
No matter how many times they did this dance of separation and reunion, Abaddon still got feelings of lightness within his heart whenever he thought about seeing them again.
Their scents, smiles, and demeanors all served to act as terribly effective homing beacons that sucked him in without fail.
As he walked through the dark corridor, he noticed a faint light coming from within their kitchen.
A smile formed on his face as he recognized the presence instantly.
He erased his scent, footsteps, and all traces of his being in an instant.
This is how he was able to sneak up on the kitchen's frequented terror while she was distracted.
Bekka was standing in front of an open fridge dressed like Winnie the Pooh.
Her tail and large butt swayed side to side in unison as she scoured her refrigerator for more morsels.
Abaddon watched her take some leftover roast chicken, a tub of cookie dough, and some milk to make a bowl of cereal.
She was also eyeing a half of a sub sandwich that specifically had Valerie's name on it along with the words 'Do not touch, Bekka'.
"...Eh, she'll forgive me if I use a bit of cuddling and sexual magic."
Bekka took off the bite and saw new writing on the back that explicitly stated that she would not be bribed by her fur or any other attributes.
Now, Bekka just looked like she was weighing the potential consequences of filling her stomach.
Perhaps it was her canine aspect, but the second empress practically thrived on affection and attention.
She practically fell apart whenever any of her family showed even the slightest bit of disappointment towards her.
Her spirit couldn't take it!
She was a lover, not a fighter damn it!
...But she also really wanted that sandwich!
Amused beyond belief, Abaddon did nothing and simply unconcealed his presence.
Bekka suddenly stopped digging through the fridge and stood straight up.
She whirled around with the same kind of glimmer in her eyes that was present whenever she saw any kind of dish with cheese or bacon.
"BABYYY!!!!"
Abandoning her pursuit of food, Bekka jumped up into her husband's arms if she were a significantly smaller woman.
She plastered kisses across every exposed patch of skin on her husband's face.
Abaddon had to steady himself against the counter to stop her from taking him to the ground.
Bekka seemed positively feral as she nuzzled her cheek along Abaddon's skin fast enough to cause a fire.
They were maternal deities after all; making the allure they had with children second to none.
Even Abaddon found himself unconsciously calling them 'Mommy'.
Nevertheless, he still found her worry a bit unfounded.
"I don't know if you've ever properly looked at your own relationship with our children, my love. They show you quite the favoritism too if you haven't noticed."
Bekka fell silent as she thought about the occasions where her children had voluntarily come to seek her out and spent time with her for hours on end.
"...But our boys don't do that anymore?"
"They're older now, love. They're only interested in looking dignified for their women."
"Y-You just spent several days with your moms a few months ago!"
"I had been turned into a toddler..."
Bekka's ears perked up. "...So you're saying I should turn the boys into-"
"No, no, I am not saying that." Abaddon shook his head firmly.
Bekka deflated and absentmindedly shoveled Valerie's sandwich into her mouth.
Abaddon lifted a napkin and wiped away any stray dollops of mayonnaise that ran down her chin.
"Everything will work out for the best, my love. Just trust yourself."
Bekka felt her heart warm up a bit.
Truthfully, the reason why she was so nervous about carrying her future son was because of her acquaintance with Nyx.
Most of the other reborn children either did not have mothers or did not interact with them, but Tartarus was different.
Nyx knew her son quite well, and the two of them seemed to have a very solid relationship.
So solid that just from the stories alone, Bekka was worried their might not have been room for her in between them.
And Nyx was supposedly going to move in with them as well once the family had taken the underworlds, so what was she supposed to do if her new little bundle of joy preferred to spend time with the mother he already knew?
It wouldn't be her place to get in the middle of them like that.
Abaddon could tell that Bekka still seemed to be thinking about something rather hard, but he didn't push her to share it with him just yet.
Often times Bekka needed to work out how she felt about things on her own before she was capable of sharing them with anyone else.
Instead of prying, he distracted her with small talk and stories about his exploits in another world.
Just as he expected, she did find the pictures he took quite funny and her mood showed significant improvement.
Eventually, the two of them finished their 'snacking' and started to return back to the bedroom where everyone else was sleeping.
Well, that was the plan at least.
Half-way to the bedroom, the door opened on it's own and Valerie emerged in a large t-shirt ad a set of Abaddon's boxers.
While rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she smiled drunkenly at her husband and walked towards him with her arms outstretched.
"I thought that was you... I'm glad you're finally ho..."
Valerie noticed Bekka cowering behind their husband and her eyes fully narrowed.
Judging by the fact that the two were coming from the kitchen, her intuition told her loudly what her sister had done.
And she was not happy.
"Bitch, did you eat my sandwich?"