Chapter Eleven

Six months later OE held a press conference. Adam was still thin but at least he would walk. They walked hand in hand to the podium. "Good morning. Thank you all for coming." Adam said into the mic. Lantia stood a few steps back from him. "I am Adam Orthanous and I am here to announce that OE will be adding some new content to our popular game Silent Spirit." He went on to say that there was a new town and monsters. All things that Monie, Diem and Lantia had designed. Then he moved to questions.

"Mr. Orthanous, how did you get stuck in the game?"

"A glitch merged my brain waves with the code of the boss." Adam smiled sweetly.

"How did you get out?"

"A very determined player came and soloed the boss I was bound to. It respawned me at the gates of Maronville. That content is currently being rewritten and the glitch reworked so that no one has to go through that again."

"Who was this player?" Lantia raised her hand to the buzz and flashes.

"I had goals and he was in the way." She joined Adam at the mic.

"What is your character's name and your real name miss?" Someone from the back called.

"My character is Crimson Cleric of the Dragon's Inn Guild. My real name is Atlantia Forrest." More flashes.

"What is your relationship to Mr Orthanous?"

"We don't know." They said together causing them to smile widely.

"I will always be thankful for what Lantia has done for me but I know that it was all part of some bigger plan that she had. Next question."

"What happened to Gerald Mackie?" Lantia tensed. Adam took her hand.

"Mr. Mackie has freely admitted hacking into our system to force more people into the same situation as I was in. We have since found the breach and since resolved the issue. Mr. Mackie was charged and is waiting for his court date."

"Who was he trying to force into the game?" Came from their left.

"My sister, Oceana and myself." Lantia said holding her fists at her side. "Gerald was my boyfriend when I started playing the game but he took it too far and I broke up with him. He took this badly. He trapped my sister to lure-" Suddenly there was a cheer from the back of the room. They watched Monie run up to the stage.

"That was Tom." Monie took Lantia's hands. "Ana is awake. Her heart is fine. Tom and his partner say it looks stronger than when they started." Lantia gasped. "The tumor is gone. She is going to be fine." Lantia fell to the ground. It was really all over. Oceana was going to be fine.

"She is free." Lantia felt her heart explode.

"Stand up Love. They are going to want to know what is going on." Adam said in her ear. She nodded.

"Is Ana your sister?" A reporter called up to them.

"Oceana was born with a tumor in her heart. Doctors told us that she wasn't going to live. When she saw the game she asked me to play. So I did. I met wonderful people in the game. Oceana had fun and to me that was really all that mattered. When Gerald took my sister for his play thing I moved heaven and earth to get her out. I freed Adam not really knowing his whole story then rescued my sister. Once out Dr. Orthanous was able to acquire some new medical equipment that as you just heard has saved my sister's life. I could not be happier."

"Mr Orthanous why is your family so generous to the Forrest sisters?"

"They are brave, strong and has given so much to my family it seemed only fair. A life returned for a life saved." More questions flew about the operation. Adam and Lantia stood back as Sam answered the questions.

"You can cry when you get home." She nodded. Adam hugged the woman that he loved. He didn't care who saw. Lantia was the only one for him.

Shelly met them at the door when they arrived home that afternoon. "Monie called with the good news. I am off to meet your parents. Do you want to come?"

"Today was a very busy day. I think that I want to go to bed. Please tell them that I know. I am very happy and when Tom says that it is okay I am going to go see her. The press conference was draining though." Shelly kissed Lantia's cheek heading out. "I need a bath." There was a devilish look in his eyes. "Don't start." She laughed.

"What?" He said leading her to the big bathroom. Lantia started the water. Putting in lilac bubble bath. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"As long as there is no sex. You know what the doctor said." She warned.

"I know. I know. I just want to hold my goddess. Maybe if you are up to it we can go out for dinner. I haven't eaten a good meal in a while." She smiled. "Five years of digital food is not replacement. I am not saying that Shelly's food is bad but I need a good Teen burger." Lantia laughed at that.

They were in the water finger intertwined, beyond comfortable, when she spoke next. "It is like we never broke up."

"So that week was a break up?" He held her closer. "Please don't put us through that again. It is harder to stalk people in the real world." Lantia giggled. "I would really like to date you my love. I want to spoil you. I want you to go to school. I wouldn't mind if you modeled for Linda either."

"I forgot about Linda." She groaned. The woman was a fashion designer in real life. She hunted down Lantia to ask her to model. At the time Adam was just getting out of the hospital so she said no. "I love Linda's clothes and I am starting to like that little black dress that she made for me but I don't know if I want to have that as a job while I am in school."

"Good answer." He pulled her closer into himself. "Besides I would get jealous. There is a lingerie. She is sending over the line so that I can sample it. I don't know if I would want other people to see you in them." She blushed. "Do you have your fetish for matching sets here as well?"

"Yeah. Just not as many of them."

"Then lets go out to do that tomorrow. I want you to feel pretty all the time. Not just when I am holding you." It wasn't long before she fell asleep on his warm body. In game he would have lifter her out to carry her to the bed. Adam mourned the lose of his strength. He wanted nothing more than to be what he was in game for her. He wanted to be her king.

"My love you need to wake up. We need to get into bed." He whispered to get a groan. Though there was no sex Adam had been sneaking into her room across from his only to lay with her. He found Lantia was not a morning person. That meant long mornings in her warm arms. "Come on my goddess a warm over sized duvet waits for you just in the other room."

"I am getting up." She groaned. As she stood Adam saw for the first time the scars on her back. He reached up to touch them. Lantia froze. "Please don't ask?"

"I need to my love. Gerald did this, didn't he?" She pulled away from him reaching for her robe. "Lantia?" Her eyes were filling when she turned back to him.

"I had forgotten about them. They didn't transfer over to the game so I forgot that you have never seen them." He stepped out. Taking his robe. "Oceana told you how hard he was on me."

"Yes. She never told me he drew blood."

"It was only one night." He pulled his Lantia to him. Now he really didn't want to know. He wanted her to forget. "He was very drunk and called me over to the bar he was at to take him home. So I did. His apartment was a disaster. Bottles everywhere. Half eaten food molding where it had been left. Due to how disgusting it was I was going to leave but he threw me to the table. The force shattered the bottles there. As I screamed in pain he raped me."

"Hush my love. You are safe with me. He can never harm you again." Adam took her down the hall to her room. "Gerald is in jail and can't touch you."

"Guess again." Lantia was suddenly in Gerald's arm. His massive arm cut off the air she needed. His other arm pointed a gun at Adam. Lantia began to claw as the bigger man's arm. "I told you that she was mine. No amount of torture by either of you can change that fact."

"You are forgetting who I am."Adam glared at him. Would they ever be free of this bastard? They thought at the same time. Lantia found herself falling towards Adam. She still couldn't breath. Turning to Gerald she saw that he was shooting her. Everything seemed in slow motion. Adam called her name. Gerald was subdued by the family's security. "Lantia!" Her hand came from her chest all red.

"Adam?" She was crying. Everything burned. Her voice became a rasp as her mouth filled with something bitter.

"No Lantia. You can't leave me."

When she woke from that nightmare she realized she was not in my room. The walls were a bright sterile white not the soft peach. The light was slated. A hand in hers tighten. Something was lodged in her throat. Her free hand tore at her neck.

"Calm down, Lanti." Tom suddenly stood over her taking the pipe from her mouth. "Don't talk. It will be hard for a while. I will get you water."

"Lantia." Adam was suddenly in her face. "I though he took you from me." She wanted so badly to call out to the man she loved but the pain caused her to cough.

"Adam, what did I just say?" Tom held out the cup to her. Adam held her up so that she drink. Which she did greedily. "Now Lanti I have to tell you what happened. Adam is here so just cling to him." She already was clinging to her lover. "Gerald shot you twice in the back, two more in your chest and one in you leg. Adam was shot once in the shoulder."

No matter how painful it was she turned to Adam pulling down his tee shirt to see the bandages. Lantia broke then. She pulled away from both of them. This was all her fault. She brought Gerald into his life and it almost cost her it. "Lanti relax. You are going to open your stitches."

"Too late Tom." She curled herself into a ball. "The ones on her back have opened." Adam seemed so hurt. It seemed to trigger harder wails. It was the worst sound Adam had ever heard. Worst than even the morning at the guild hall. "I don't blame you Lantia." He whispered. "Please don't blame yourself. I am not as hurt as you. You saved my life. Again. You are really my Goddess." She pushed him away. "Call me if she asks for me."

Outside the room he fell into his father's arms again. "But she saved you."

"She almost lost me. She is blaming herself. You could see it in her eyes."

"She is crying just like she did when she broke up with you." Oceana said hands over her ears. "I hate this sound."

"You and me both Ana. There is nothing I can do for her. She pushed me away." Oceana stood up heading past Adam. He took her hand. "She is already in pain Ana please don't cause her more."

"I am just going to yell at her." That was not all. Adam saw Oceana slap her now sitting up sister. "Stop it Lanti. This is not your fault. Gerald was psycho. Adam is alive because of you. You took bullets for him. I was the surveillance. You are a big damn hero. Please don't push him away again. I can't watch you hurt like this again." Oceana wrapped her arms around her sister. "You love him. He loves you."

"I...Don't..." She coughed again. "Deserve...him." Adam looked her in the eye. Lantia still thought that. After everything they have gone through. She turned to her sister again. "I...will...get...him...killed...one day." Hearing that Adam rushed her. His lips on hers pulling a deep kiss from her.

" You are my Red Dragon Queen, Atlantia Rose Forrest." His hands stayed on her face to keep her from pulling away. "I am your king and will always be. There is no stopping that. You will never hurt me. I refuse to die before you do. No matter what happens in our lives. How often you respawn there will always be one fact. I love you and I will always be here for you."

"Always." She said. Adam smiled.

"That is my Goddess. Now be a good girl and do what Tom tells you. I don't want to see you crying anymore." She nodded. "Good."

"Why didn't you do that to start with?" Oceana hit his injured shoulder.

"It just came over me. You know she brings out such big emotions from me. I don't have the guild to hold them for me."

"I would think that you wouldn't want them to."

"Not any more." Lantia tighten her grip on his arm. "You made me whole and alive again Lantia. Now you are going to have to suffer the consequence of that. I am going to love deeper than two men ever could."

A year passed before any of them were cleared for the wedding. Lantia waited for her sister to be maid of honor only to find out that Oceana wanted a double wedding. Adam wanted to be able to lift his bride as he had in the game. As both woman walked down the carpet towards their loves Adam sighed. Lantia wore red. Something that Linda had designed for her. He wore the blue to black outfit that she loved so much in game.

Oceana wore something more traditional. Tom as well. The minister started with all four in a haze that it was happening at all. Adam only noticed her taking her deep breaths. Until he spoke Adam's name. "Do you Adam take Oceana as you lawfully wedded wife?"

"Hell no." They all said in unison. That got laughter from all of them.

"I will take Atlantia though. My Red Goddess." The minister blushed and continued. Diem handed them the rings from laptop that was linked to the game. Adam had asked Ob to be his best man. In turn Lantia asked Goldie to be her maid of honor. The party they had in game was grander than anything outside. It was truly fit for a king and queen.

"Lantia, you have gone through so many dangers untold and hardships out numbered to get to stand in front of me. The moment I saw you as a pathetic level three character I wished to spare you of it. That was not the day you stole my heart. You are the girl I have been dreaming about from the beta. You came in for the sake of your sister and I couldn't help myself. I fell for you. Though I don't know if you remember that. That following July I decided that I was going to give you the fairy tale if only to see you smile. Will you let me give you the happily ever after that you so deserve?" He waited for her to nod placing the ring on her finger.

Lantia took the right staring at it until she took another calming breath. "Adam I don't deserve you. I never have." She rose her hand as he was going to object. "I do remember the beta but I didn't realize that it was you until I saw the water colors in your room. I figured it all out from there on my own. You withheld facts that I should have been told. I would have started my quest for your freedom sooner. Part of me is happy for all the time you spoiled me there. The other part, loves that you love me so much that no matter what world that we are in, you are my side. I am now selfish. I demand that my great and mighty Dragon King love his queen for all his life. You after all owe me your life. Twice over." He laughed.

"I will strive to live up to all your needs." She put the ring on his hand. Adam put an arm round her waist. This was the beginning of their life. At the reception Adam gave her a replica of her armor, including the crown. He wore his matching set. Sitting at the head table it was as if they really were king and queen.

Tom and Oceana never made it to the reception but Lantia knew they wouldn't. Tom had been waiting for this day to make love to the woman he loved. Though Oceana had almost broke his resolve a few times, tonight would be their first time.

It was another year before she was able to enter the game. Alone. She entered Dragon's Inn saying hi to everyone before going up to what would have been her room. "So what is up, Lantia?" Goldie and Ob stood at the door.

"I am trying to figure out how to design the baby's room but couldn't decide." Goldie hugged her.

"Does he know that there is going to be a hatchling?"

"Nope so don't tell him." Ob kissed her forehead before pulling his lover from the room. It didn't take Adam long to find her there. The walls were the softest shade of green. The floor an equally soft brown carpet. The only other thing in the room a rocker. His heart soared. Could it be?

"Hello my Goddess. What are you doing?"

"I am planning a nursery." Adam gasped as she nonchalantly said it. "I can't decide on the crib." She placed them both on the floor. One was a similar style to her room at the Gull the other was like their room in the real world. "Maybe I should get both."

"Nursery? Both?" Lantia turned to his arms. "Twins?"

"Yes. Your uncle seems to think that it will be twins." Adam fell to his knees. "Love?"

"I have never felt this weak. Not even when you woke me." He looked up at her. "Please don't be joking love. I don't think that my heart could take this."

"I am and you are going to be a father, Adam." He launched himself to his feet spinning her around. "Hey hey. Calm down. I am still in a delicate stage." They logged out to make love once before calling their families.

When she went in, the game, to be with her sister she never thought that she would gain so much more. Now she held her daughter as Adam held their son. Funny how it all worked out.