Chapter 4

XxX two months later XxX Zhalia's POV XxX

I was starting to get bigger, and that's not a funny thing, the once flat belly has now a little lump in the front. I know it'll grow quicker soon, I mean, when I'm four months, there's not hiding for the belly.

That's why me and Sophie are going to the doctor in Venice, if I'm right, Dante is waiting there for us, well, if not, I'll bring him some pictures.

After I left with the teens, Dante told Scarlet about the baby, and boy, she was mad! I think Dante slept on the couch that night or in another room, because I thought I heard Scarlet screaming from Sophie's house... Anyway, I stayed with Sophie while I was mostly flying over between Rotterdam and Venice, I think the stewardess there knows my name by now. Also, I thought about buying an apartment here in Venice, but when i saw the prices i knew i had to do a lot more than just missions to get that much of money, Venice is expensive. It may be beautiful and the weather is better than in Rotterdam, but it's too expensive for me.

If I had as much money as Dante and Sophie, I could live here without any problems, but for now... I stay with Sophie, and we'll see how it goes when i have the baby.

Dante and Sophie, both wanted to help me with the money for my own place, but I refused, I couldn't take it, it's not fear.

Anyway, I was avoiding Scarlet for the last two months, last time I saw her was in the underwear shop or something, don't remember the name... something like Vivi..vivivivi... something with Vivi.

Well, after my boobs started to get bigger and painful and I knew I had to wear something more... supportive.

I walk inside, tell the woman behind the bar my name and hear her sight while doing her job. She looks like she's dying from the inside, slowly... her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, she's wearing wide clothes to hide her fat body and her face is full of pimples, lines and other things I'm not going to get, ever.

'Yes, I found you...' she says with a bored tune in her voice, her eyes look back at me again and then back at the computer, the little lifeless eyes, that look like she's ready to throw herself of the building 'The doctor will be ready for you in any minute, please sit down'.

I nod and walk to Sophie, I look at her 'if I ever look like that woman, you have to give me a mirror' I look at her, she grins and nods while taking a magazine.

After a few minutes of waiting i start to look around a bit, I was reading something about miscarries but I got bored. I look at the other women in the room, there's a young teenager with a fat belly, there are a few older women with big hanging boobs and big belly's that look like they're going to explode, there's also a fat lady and I'm not sure why she thinks she's pregnant, you can't see any difference...

The Dante walks, in looking hurried, he finds us and walks over.

'I'm sorry I'm late, Scarlet's mother is staying for a while... it's like burning in hell and after you died you woke up again' he takes a seat next to us and looks at Sophie who starts telling him about how sick she's from Scarlet calling her all the time to go shopping or lunching somewhere.

I look at a couple next to us, the woman is a little older than me, about... her mid-thirties, the man is maybe five or less years older and holding a young boy about five years old, he's laughing while singing a little song with his grandmother next to him, a little girl walks to me 'Are you going to get a baby too?' she asks then, pointing at my tummy.

'Yes' I nod my head bow a little bit further to her.

'You're not as fat as my mommy, she's getting a twin! I'll be the big sister of two little sisters' she grins widely.

'No! it are two boys! they're going to play with me! And I'll become a big brother!' yells the boy, making a proud face, i smile softly.

'I think you're both going to be a big brother, and a big sister, and you'll love your little brothers or sisters' I smile softly, the girl giggles and then looks at my hair.

'You've got dark hair, I think it's beautiful' she smiles 'I think the baby will have such beautiful hair too!' she then walks away, I smile softly, and smile to both parents who look embarrassed at their daughter and son.

'I'm sorry for bothering you with them, they're so... adrem' smiles the man.

'It's nothing, I'm very adrem myself' I nod at them and they talk to each other again.

'I think you're going to be a good mother' says the old woman then.

'Thank you' I nod at her and then feel a hand on my shoulder.

'The doctor is ready to see you' whispers Dante in my ear, I nod, stand up and wave a little goodbye to the family and then follow Sophie and Dante to the room.

XxX

'So, three month's pregnant, I see' the woman looks at the papers and then at me 'Well, let's see how it's going' he gets a tube with gel or something and a few minutes later i see a little white thing on the screen, it's small but I can see little arms and little legs, I feel something tinkling in my tummy and look at the thing, there's a baby growing in my belly! I know it's in there, but to see it now!

'Wow, it already has little arms and legs' starts Sophie, amazed.

'Yes, it's about 3-4 inches long and weighs about 1 ounce, it already has everything, arms, legs and it's forming it's ears already. it can open and close its fists and mouth and the nails are starting to grow too, if we look at it from this side...' he moves the thing on my belly and we can see the feet a little closer '... now we can count it's toes' he looks at the feet.

I see the little toes, it's not good seeable but there they are, twenty toes, it's cute, the little thing that's growing inside my belly.

'It has ten toes on each foot...' I start after a while.

'Really? you can see that?' asks Sophie than, even the doctor looks at me amazed.

'I had a little trouble by seeing it myself, but you're right, there are twenty toes' he points at the toes to give the others a good look and I smile lightly and then feel a hand on my ankle, I look up at Dante and see him smile at me, I smile back and before I know we're standing outside.

'That was amazing! After those three months you could already count the toes!' Sophie exclaimed happily.

'You two aren't in for a lunch, are you?'.

'trying to stay away from Scarlet's mother?' I ask him with a grin.

'Well...' his cheeks get a slight tint of red.

'Well, I haven't eaten already, and after all, I can understand you don't like her mother' I grin and think back of the after party after the wedding when I talked to that lady I now know from whose side Scarlet's has her wonderful personality.

'Thanks'.

'For keeping you away from your wife who attacked me on your wedding after she found out we slept together when we were drunk? No problem' I roll my eyes and hear a slight chuckle coming from Dante while Sophie is giggling softly too.

'Even while you're feeling horrible you still didn't lose the sarcasm' the teenage girl smiles, while kicking against a stone.

'Well, the sick feeling is mostly in the morning now, after a cup of coffee and yelling at Lok he has to lower the sound of the TV, I'm not feeling sick anymore' I roll my eyes, looking at the two of them with a face.

'I sleep with earplugs since a week after he arrived three weeks ago' answers Sophie.

'I see, so we have to buy those too...' I look around for a shop that probably has earplugs, but before I find one we sit down in a café and order something to eat.

'So, how's life with Scarlet?' asks Sophie after a long silence.

'Well... it's hard being married, I mean it was hard before she was my wife, but now it's ten times harder. I think i made the wrong choice marrying her' Dante looks at his coffee. I feel happy and relieved, but I can't be happy when Dante looks so hurt and little.

'I see' I sight softly 'Well, nobody said it was going to be easy. Certainly not me'.

'I know, but when I looked at my parents when I was little, they seemed to read each other's thoughts, feel it when the partner is in pain or is happy. I don't feel Scarlet that way and I know she doesn't feel it either. When my mother was feeling sick and she was cooking dinner, my father came home and when he walked into the kitchen he already knew she wasn't feeling well. If my father had completed a mission, my mother would make a pie before he came home. Sometimes they finished, each other's sentences. it seemed so perfect, I thought Scarlet and me would have the same feelings, apparently not'.

'My parents had that too, once my grandfather died, and she was just standing before the window, she wasn't crying, just looking. And he came in and dropped all his stuff on the gorund, running to her, hugging her and asking what was wrong. I didn't know what was happening, I was five, however, I knew my parents loved each other very much. And well... it seems like my parents had the same, like two parts of-'.

'-one piece' say Dante and I in chorus.

'Aww that's so sweet, you know what you mean' she grins and I take a bite of my sandwich.

'Well, my neighbors were always screaming at each other and throwing stuff out of the window, followed by more yelling. So I guess not everybody has that luck' I take a nip of my coffee and feel Sophie and Dante look at me 'What?'.

'I don't want to become like your neighbors' explains Dante.

'And I'm not very good at being-married stuff! I'm not even married, and I'm pregnant, so, live with it' I roll my eyes and lean back.

'So... the Foundation party is coming over three days, you're going?' Sophie looks at us.

'Scarlet has to go with her mother back to Ireland, something with her grandmother, it's for the next two month's so I guess she isn't coming with me' Dante rolls his eyes.

'That's a shame' I sight when i notice I said the wrong thing 'No, it's really, I don't like Scarlet, but hey, I didn't like Sophie either and she didn't like me, now we're friends. I just... have a hard time with being friendly alright?'.

'Sure, anyway, what I wanted to ask. Zhalia do you mind coming with me?'.

'You're asking me our while your wife is gone to Ireland?' I raise my eyebrow.

'Uhm... Yes, that's pretty much what I asked'.

'Alright, but I'll have to buy a new dress, I don't think I'm going to fit in the same dress as last year

I'm getting bigger' I lay my hand on my tummy.

The two start to laugh and I smile softly.

XxX Three days later XxX

While we're walking inside the building I feel a little sick.

'So, no drinking, no smoking and no drugs' tells Dante which makes me grin.

'I can do the first two things, but i think I can't stay away from the cocaine though' I feel a little squeeze in my hand and look at him 'Just kidding! I haven't drunk anything since your wedding after party that went so well for me'.

Dante just sights.

'Alright, I'll stop mentioning that, I just...' I sight softly and look down, I feel my mood is going down from happy to sad.

'Please Zhalia, I know...' he lifts my chin and looks into my eyes.

'I just don't know what's wrong with me lately, I can't keep my mouth shut, even less than normal'.

'That's because you're pregnant and you have mood swings. When a friend of mine was pregnant she became a real adrem woman, while she's probably the shiest girl I know' Dante smiles softly taking my hand and leading me to the buffet.

'Well, I think i skip the buffet for now, else I'll be still big after I lost the child' I walk instead of the buffet towards Metz with Monteheu, Tersly, Guggenheim, Peter and a teenage girl called Billie.

'Hello Zhalia, good to see you here this very evening, not feeling sick?' asks Metz, greeting me.

'Not really, I just brought Dante to the buffet, and I think Lok will soon join him' I smile softly.

'Oh my god! Congratulations with your baby' Billie looks at my tummy.

'What baby?' I ask her with emotionless voice.

She looks at me shocked, gasping air and we all start laughing except for her, she's turning red.

'Thank you Billie' I nod at her to tell her I was joking and then she start laughing too.

'How long are you?'.

'I'm three month's now, I'm starting to get a little belly, I mean, once it was flat, now it has a form' I lay my hand on the not very big but seeable belly.

'Yes? that's so sweet, do you know what it is?'.

'No, Dante and I don't want to know till it's born' I answer, Peter, Tersly, Monteheu and Billie stare at me.

'Wait, you got pregnant that very evening?' asks Monteheu then.

'yes, funny story...' I roll my eyes and grab Dante who's passing by.

'Oh here you are, i already searched for you' he gives me a bit of his cake.

'You're still married with Scarlet?' asks Billie then 'While she's carrying your child?'.

'Yes, Zhalia didn't want an abortion' answers Dante.

'Why not?'.

'Well... I think it's because in my past I murdered a few people, and once I murdered a pregnant woman and since than, i can't kill any unborn child or child again, it's... traumatic' I close my eyes.

'You didn't tell me that' Dante lays his hand on my shoulder.

'You never asked' I shrugged my shoulders.

'So... got photo's?' asks Billie then.

'Actually I have' i open my purse and give the photo's to her.

'Aww! Look! It's so little and cute! it has twenty toes already!' Billie smiles while showing it to the others.

'What did Scarlet say about this?' asks Metz then.

'We didn't sleep together the first two weeks, but when she noticed I wasn't going to change my mind, she let me come back in our room again. She isn't happy with the whole thing, but what has happened can't be chanced, Zhalia has been my friend since last year's summer, and after i made her pregnant that night, my decision was made. Zhalia is carrying my child and she's still my friend, Scarlet may not agree with this all, I'm still responsible. That's why Zhalia is staying with Sophie till she has the money for her own place, probably after she got the child' Dante lays his arm around my waist.

'Well, you're acting like a married or in love couple if you ask me' says Billie while looking at the picture and then walking to a woman nearby, who I recognize as Dante's aunt.

'And what are you going to do with the child?' asks Metz then.

'I'll raise him or her, Dante will come by every time he wants. And I know, without even talking about it, that he wants to learn the kid about its powers, the titans and everything else, right Dante?' I look at him.

'How did you know?' asks Dante then, a little bit confused.

'I just had a hunch, and also... I don't have the patience to learn a child about all that stuff, you know that' I raise an eyebrow.

'Well, that's true' Dante grins at me.

'Zhalia, come!' Sophie looks at me, pointing at the women with the photos with her head.

'I have to provide some signs or something' I sight softly and walk to the girls.

XxX Dante's POV XxX

I look at Zhalia leaving, I didn't want her to leave, it felt like something was wrong or lost when she wasn't around.

'Dante, open your eyes man, you're having trouble with Scarlet right?' Monteheu looks at me, I'm scared of what he's going to say next.

'Yes' .

'Zhalia is there Dante, she's carrying your child, she's in love with you, why can everybody see that except for you? And also, Scarlet isn't really your type anyway. Please Dante, make a decision, you like Zhalia too, when she's near or standing next to you I can see it in your eyes you love her too'.

'Are you trying to tell me, to divorce Scarlet and marry Zhalia?' I ask him, a little uneasy.

'Yes! That's exactly what I am saying! You and Scarlet look cute together but you both seem not very happy with it. You get embarrassed by her and she does with you. I'll tell you about the night when you were drinking yourself in bed with Zhalia. You see, first you just danced a bit, we laughed, made jokes, after a while you both started to drink a little too much, so you were talking to her, and after a while I saw you laughing with her, she was sitting on your shot and you both were looking like a real couple. Then, when it was almost one pm she was starting to throw up after you paid her a double American Whisky, you didn't even think of anything else than drag her to the toilets and let her continue there. After that we got home and you got upstairs. you know that happened next' he looks at me, Tersly nods.

'So, I was there when she vomit? So? I would have done the same for you if I could carry you' I narrow my eyes.

'What about last year? When we had a party? The summer was over and you defeated the Organization. That night you got drunk, when you was about to fall of your legs and couldn't even walk home because you had to vomit every five steps, Scarlet didn't even want to come near you, she just looked at you with an awful look in her eyes. Anyway, we wanted to take the bus but that man didn't want you in his bus, after you threw up outside, so we could get in but you would stay behind. Scarlet thought you could walk home by yourself, but Zhalia was there for you man. She told us to go with the bus and she would get you home safely. She dragged you home, Dante, she was there when you was about to throw up your stomach. After one and an half hour she came home with you. She told us to go to bed and she get you to the first floor all by herself, then she put you in bed, staying with you the whole night because you couldn't sleep, you were crawling from the bed and the bathroom the whole time. She stayed awake till you fell asleep, when it was almost morning she got back to her own bed. not like you remember, we thought it was very clever you that you kept your stomach in your body. Why do you think she was sleeping almost the whole day after that?' Monteheu looks at me. I remember that evening, well not clearly, but a few parts of it. Zhalia was sleeping till noon, but i thought she just drunk too much, just like me. Apparently not.

'And then there's that missions of you all, you always work together like one. When she left I saw you in pain Dante, and that's why you got closer to Scarlet, you searched for someone to replace her.

Pity that Scarlet isn't as good for you as Zhalia, you guys work together Dante, two pieces of one.

You always know what she means. She always knows how you feel... you know each other like one'.

That makes my heart stop beating for a sec, he's right, Zhalia and i always work together as a team, but we are a team. I thought she was just a good friend, but now i think about it, I was in love last summer, but that faded when she was gone, do i still love her? Are we like our parents? Soul mates? We've always known each other's feelings without, just by looking into each other's eyes. Having the same ideas about things... I look at her, she's standing there, next to Sophie and Billie, trying to get away from the crowd of girls that are holding the picture in front of her belly. I see her look at me and I smile, she just smiles back and I feel the same old tinkling feeling in my stomach that i had last year, that's it, that's the feeling I never had with Scarlet, the tinkling feeling of happiness.

Whatever we said or did, we never were embarrassed by each other, i always was, about the wedding dress, about the flowers Scarlet choose, about everything Scarlet did, even the little soaps in the bathroom made me roll with my eyes. She couldn't stop complaining about my dirty clothes all around the room, she refused to touch my underwear if it came to the laundry, and she always has her own opinion about everything.

'You're right...' i start, still looking at Zhalia.

'Of course i am! tell me when you're going to break Scarlet's heart, I think I'm going far away from here when you do, a vacation to the Bahamas', how does that sound Tersly?' he asks his companion.

'For once, I think Monteheu is right, get rid of Scarlet Dante, she's... not the woman you need, Zhalia is' Metz looks at me.

'I think I'll tell her when she comes back' I sight and look at the others.

TBC

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