Hey this is the Second story I have written for the Wild at heart fandom. What can I say I love this show. There is a few Au moments in this short fic. I don't own this. Please review and thank you to wildatheartfan for reviewing my last fic (I just love your stories and they and others inspired me to write mine.)
No Dylan in this one so you know a big plus in my opinion!
Music-speaks-to-me
"Rosie!" Dup yelled as he battered on the toilet door shocking Rosie out of the staring match she'd being happen with a stick. The stick with two vertical lines on it. Rosie felt sick again even though what she now knew to be morning sickness had already made her throw up her breakfast.
"Move, Anders!" she heard Caroline say as she pushed him away from the door. "Rosie, it's Caroline. Do you want to talk?"
Rosie nodded numbly before realising that Caroline couldn't see her and getting up to open door. As soon as Caroline saw her she put her arm around Rosie and led her through to her room for privacy.
"Well?" She asked having been the one to suggest to Rosie that she should take the pregnancy test.
"It's positive," Rosie replied softly as she showed the stick to Caroline.
"Oh Rosie! That's wonderful!" Caroline replied as she pulled her into hug but when she pulled back she looked into Rosie's pain filled eyes and said, "Or maybe not so wonderful?"
Rosie shook her head, "no it is. It's just well…"
She stood up and walked over to her dresser and pulled out an envelope with Mrs Rosie Gifthold Leopard's Den - Game reserve written on the front. She handed it to Caroline and she pulled out the documents inside letting out an, "Oh Rosie," when she saw them.
"They came this morning. I haven't told anyone else yet. Dad will be so disappointed." Rosie whispered as she stared at the bed.
Caroline shook her head, "No he won't Rosie, he loves you. Besides just because Max sent these divorce papers, doesn't mean it's over, a love like you two's never could be."
"No it really is," Rosie replied brokenly.
"Not until you try everything you can!" Caroline replied firmly.
Rosie met her face with tear filled eyes, "But I don't know what else to do!" She sobbed.
Caroline pulled her step-granddaughter close and gently rubbed her back in soothing circles as Rosie let her despair out.
Minutes later once Rosie had stopped crying Caroline smiled, "first thing first we have to tell the rest of the family, we'll need their help."
Rosie bit her lip, "They'll be so mad."
"Maybe," Caroline replied, "But the main thing is we need to do this as a family. And if there's one thing we do at Leopard's den its family."
Caroline gently led Rosie through the house to the kitchen and gave her a hug before heading off to get the rest the Leopard's den family.
Once they had all filed into the kitchen Dupe first a slight smell about him making it clear he hadn't wanted in the Bathroom earlier to shower, Danny and Alice were next one of them whipping their hands after a hard operation on one of the lions in their pride and the other carrying baby Robert, next was Charlotte and Liv who had been clearly been having a girls day if the make up on both girl's faces was anything to go by. Caroline brought the rear up with Nomsa both heavily laden with sheets from the guest huts to be washed.
Once Caroline and Nomsa had dumped the sheets in a pile by the cooker Caroline turned to the other occupants a no nonsense look on her face.
"We have something very important to discuss and we are all going to be quiet until I finish talking. If not Anders I will hide all your drink and Danny I will make sure Rosie and Alice take over all of your vet duties and leave you with only the business side of Leopard's den, understood?" Caroline placed her hands on her hips.
"Hey Women, why you only threaten us?" Dupe Grumbled as Danny nodded along a grumpy expression crossing his normally happy face.
"Because I know fine well what you are both like!" Caroline replied and continued before either could jump in, "These arrived today." She started deciding it was better to jump in at the deep end and dumped the divorce papers on the table in front of everyone.
The whole family crowed around to get a better look at them.
"Rosie," Danny breathed and Rosie flinched involuntary to avoid her father's disappointment.
"Uh uh!" Caroline shook her head, "I am not finished. Rosie also took this today."
She pulled the pregnancy test out of her back pocket and tossed it onto the table.
The whole family started at it in shock before Danny shot forward and snatched up of the table.
"It's positive," he whispered.
Rosie nodded softly and stiffly as the rest of the room gasped.
"Right," Caroline snapped, "now that we are all up to date lets get going."
And she started barking out orders Nomsa, Alice, Liv and Charlotte were all to finish cleaning the guest huts before moving onto the house. Dupe was to pick up his empty beer bottles from nearly everywhere around leopards den and to take a long hot shower. (Both of which he agreed to do after some grumbling). And Danny was to stay with Rosie and Caroline.
As everybody else's footsteps died away Caroline began to speak, "Now you are both going to say your peace and not interrupted the other. Rosie you first, why didn't you tell your dad about this."
"I thought you'd be disappointed." Rosie said in a rush. Then she took a breath and continued, "plus I didn't know till today that it was happening I thought we both just needed time to cool off and it would go back to how things were but obviously not."
She started to sob, "you have to believe me dad I didn't want this."
"Hey, hey, hey." Her dad comforted as he pulled her into a hug. "I'm not angry. I just don't understand. I thought you guys were happy?"
"We were. At the start," Rosie replied, "but over time Max was spending more time at the bar and I was spending more time studying and everything fell apart."
"Don't worry," Caroline comforted, "we'll fix it."
"What if it can't be fixed?" Rosie replied and Danny was sure he could hear her heart break.
"It can be," Caroline replied, "If me and Anders can work things out you and Max will have no problem. Once you start communicating! And that is exactly what you are going to do."
Danny and Caroline left Rosie alone in the kitchen with a stack of paper and a pen.
By lunch time when the rest of the family returned to eat there was paper all over the floor and it was clear Rosie had been crying but she was smiling.
Later that day when Nomsa went into down to do some shopping she brought with her a letter, Max's address scrawled messily on the front.
Max Gifthold returned home from a long day at the bar to find a letter. It was mocking him. His name scrawled on the front in Rosie's handwriting. What more could she possibly want to say to him?
After many more minutes of torture he gave up and grabbed the letter ripping it open to read.
To my Max, It started and he thought my Max I didn't think I still was.
To my Max,
Where do I even begin? Well I suppose you are wondering why I am writing to you. Well I am writing to you today to remind you of how much I love you no matter how much we fight. You are my whole reason for smiling. You Max. Yes, I know I haven't been acting like it lately but I wanted so bad to make everybody proud I lost sight of what was important. Life has been extremely chaotic lately and I have been selfishly choosing to focus on myself instead of you and our relationship
And only know I have realised. I won't pretend I came to this realisation by myself - seeing the divorce papers arrive at my front door your writing all over them gave me a shock to my system and forced me to see it.
So I would like to apologise.
But first I would like to start off by telling you that never in my life had I thought that I would ever find someone who loves me as strongly as you do. It wasn't that I believed that I was incapable of being loved, but I simply could not fathom finding someone who could ever love me wholly. Until you walked into my life. You are constantly on my mind as I work in the surgery or lie awake in bed, either my thought's main focus or subconsciously in the back of my head. You are with me in every single thing I do, and everywhere I go.
You are my one and only; my past, present, and future; my soulmate; my everything and my reason to smile.
Now I want and need to apologize for the moments when I was blind to see what you do for me; I want to apologize if I have ever overlooked you. If I ever didn't thank you for having dinner ready for me when I came home or waking me up with a kiss. I want you to know that even when I am incapable of seeing how lucky and blessed I was to have you, I still am forever thankful.
I want you to know that you mean everything to me, I simply cannot function in this crazy world without you. You give me the truth when I need to hear it and didn't want to, courage when I need confidence and couldn't find any of it in myself, and love when I am flawed and I am so, so flawed.
So I am sorry. I am sorry I didn't do the same for you. For leaving in the morning without making sure there was breakfast for you. And for cocooning myself in the blankets and leaving no room for you on the bed when you crawled in from the bar well passed one in the morning practically dead on your feet. And cancelling our arrangements after we were supposed to meet up because I was too busy. And for picking fights when I felt you weren't doing enough for me when really you were doing everything for me. I'm sorry for it all. And for everything else. But I am not sorry for falling in love with you. Or for still loving you. Or for knowing I will always love you. Or for doing so.
So I would like to try again. I have sent you the divorce papers and if you sign them and send them I will forget all about this. But if you don't I would like to invite you to Leopard's den for Dinner and to stay with us as long as you like I will have Nomsa set a plate for you every night until I receive your answer. I hope to see you soon.
Lots of Love
Your Rosie
Ps. Please notice I never want to say goodbye to you again but always convey my love.
Max blinked, so there was hope after all he thought. Quickly he raced to his room packed a bag and after texting his employees to let them know he wouldn't be in to the bar for an indefinite amount of time and to look after the bar in his absence he got in his car and began the long drive to where his love was.
He drove constantly the whole way there and arrived around six the next morning. As he was putting the car into park Rosie walked out of the house carrying a stack of paperwork. He stepped out the car and the minute she saw him she dropped all the paperwork onto the dusty ground with a loud thump.
"Max," she breathed.
Max walked forward slowly his hand reaching out to her. When she placed her hand into his he smiled and said, "I got your note."
"Yeah?" she replied suddenly bashful.
"And I want that too. I want to try again too." He replied.
Rosie let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and Max pulled her into his arms and spun her around. She squealed alerting the rest of the family to the fact that something was going on outside.
Charlotte was outside first and immediately upon seeing Max with Rosie ran down the steps and hugged his waist. Max laughed and kissed the top of her head as everybody else made their way onto the veranda.
"Max." Dupe yelled as he clambered down to greet his all-time favourite bar man. As the two were shaking hands the rest of the family made their way into the drive way to greet Max.
"So," Nomsa asked, "should I set a place for you at breakfast?"
Max nodded softly as he smiled down at Rosie and kissed her head.
Nomsa ended up setting out breakfast outside on the veranda so everybody could see Leopard's den in its full beauty in the sun.
Rosie and Max sat next to each other the two of them snuggled close Rosie's ear nearly always resting over Max's heart on his chest.
After breakfast Rosie and Max to a trip around the whole of leopard's den as she showed him all the new animals in the park.
At lunchtime Nomsa sent them off with a picnic and they set of into the bush to watch the animals as they ate. Afterwards they spent the rest of the day in the bush before coming home and having a late tea buy themselves on the veranda while everyone else slept.
That night Max went and slept in one of the guest huts while Rosie slept in her room both of them agreeing that it was best not to push their relationship for now.
The next day Max woke up early and headed out to see Rosie when he reached the main house Rosie was out on the veranda waiting for him. He grinned at her as she raced down to him and threw her arms around him he pulled her close to him and kissed her softly yet fiercely.
Over the next few weeks Rosie and Max continued to work on their relationship but she didn't tell him that she was pregnant.
By Max's third week back at leopard's den Danny asked her why she hadn't told Max about it when they were in Johannesburg getting clothes for her growing bump.
"Well," Rosie explained. "Last time I lost the baby and I don't want both of us to go through it again."
Danny pulled her close, "If you think that's going to happen again, that any of us will let it you've got another thing coming. I'm certainly not letting you near any elephants!"
Rosie gave her dad a wet laugh in response, "It's also the fact that I don't want him to stay with me just because of this. I'll tell him about the kid either way of course I just don't want our marriage to be forced for the kid's sake it wouldn't be fair to them."
Her dad moved to speak but she cut him off saying, "I just need the perfect time to tell him, don't worry it won't be long now."
Danny nodded and they continued on with their shopping a little while later Danny asked, "How would you feel if Evan came out to visit, for a bit?"
Rosie turned to her dad a grin on her face, "What really?"
Danny nodded, "we were talking last night and Caroline had told him you were pregnant and he wants to come out and visit us all and be here for the birth but he wanted to make sure you were ok with him coming out."
Rosie nodded and replied, "I'm thrilled, why wouldn't I be?!"
Danny grinned and responded, "I'll call and tell him to night."
As they went to pay for the purchases he added, "of course, I'm thrilled he'll be coming as I won't have to pay for the long distance phone calls anymore!"
Rosie laughed softly and leant into him.
Once they got back to leopard's den Max and Rosie began feeding some of the abandoned and orphaned baby animals they had at leopard's den and Danny told everyone else Evan was coming home to leopard's den. As soon as everyone found out they immediately began to prepare for another family member's return.
Once Evan returned Danny was able to use the extra hands as an excuse to give Rosie easier jobs with less heavy lifting. Caroline was delighted to have her two grandchildren back in the same place and the two of them proved to still be up to their old tricks and many family members were given shocks with wild but tame animals appearing out of the shadows in the house. Charlotte enjoyed having another older sibling to dote on her and Dupe was more than thrilled to take his protégé out in the bush much to the chagrin of Danny when he needed the help of one, or the other or both and they were nowhere to be found. Which was probably why they rushed off so often.
When Evan to Rosie to her scan for the first time and the doctor asked Rosie if she wanted to know the sex of her child she politely refused not wanting to have that moment without Max. And also believing that soon she could as their relationship was going well with Max moving into her room in the house at leopard's den.
Once Rosie was nearly eighteen weeks pregnant she made sure to have everyone out of the house so she could tell him. They were eating dinner out in just the star light and Rosie had just geared herself up to speak when she felt a tiny flutter against her stomach and she stood up walking round the small table to where Max sat.
She could see Max's confusion clear on his face as she lifted his hand to her stomach but it turned to surprise mixed with joy when he felt the same flutter against his hand.
"I wanted to tell you before but I didn't want to force a relationship because of our child and if I miscarried I didn't want you to feel the pain as well." Rosie felt tears escaping her eyes as Max stood up his hand never leaving her stomach.
"But we're doing so much better now and I don't want to have to hide it from you anymore." She continued.
And she probably would have said more but Max cut her off with a kiss, "I'm not saying I'm not mad but I'm too happy to care right now and I don't want to ruin our relationship again."
"You didn't!" Rosie replied firmly and Max kissed her again the salt from their tears mixing on their faces.
"What are we having?" Max asked when they pulled apart.
"I don't know yet. I wanted you to be there when I found out."
"We're going tomorrow." Max replied.
And Rosie nodded, "The appointments already booked."
Max kissed her again.
The next day they held hands as the doctor told them they were having a little boy. And months later as Rosie was giving birth to their little boy that they had decided to name Ari, Max held her hand just a tightly as she held his and thanked whatever deity was out there that they had another chance.