Vulnerable

Chapter Twenty One

Rose's point of view

"Rose," I heard Alberta's voice call from the other side of my door as I got up, going over and opening it. It had been a few days after the practise with Dalliah.

"Yes?" I asked, leaning against the door frame.

"I'm sorry for putting you with Dalliah." she apologized. "Your mom briefed me on the lesson yesterday. Everything she said, scrap it and get ready and come to the gym. I want to train you."

I smiled. "Really?" I asked, grinning happily.

"Really," she gave me a small smile before disappearing down the hall.

I smiled, shutting my door and went over to my dresser, pulling out a pair of black spandex shorts. I shoved off of my jeans and shoved them on before putting on a plain, white, baggy shirt over my yellow tank top. I shoved on socks and a pair of sneakers. Before I left, I grabbed my key and opened the door. I took a step out without looking, too busy fidgeting around with the key in my hand, trying to get it the right way to lock the door when I bumped into someone. I looked up and smiled apologetically as I seen Adrian. "Sorry!" I said softly, in an extremely good mood.

Adrian chuckled and the sound of his laugh was so sweet and uplifting. "It's alright. Where are you off to this early?"

I looked at my watch: 9:21am. "Training."

"And you're excited about it? I thought last practise was hell...?"

I smiled. "Alberta's teaching me. She said that Dalliah didn't know anything. My mom told her she was no good."

He smiled and hugged me tightly. "I'm glad, Rose. I hate to see you unhappy, especially when it comes to you being the best guardian you can be."

I smiled. "Thanks," I said pulling back to look at him as I kissed him softly. He kissed back and then smiled as he rested our foreheads together. "You should come." I said softly.

"To practise?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He smiled. "Alright," he murmured, taking my hand. "C'mon m'lady."

I giggled softly. I intertwined our fingers as he lid me down to the gym and we entered, hand in hand. I seen Alberta sat on one of the mats, fooling around with the arm on a practise dummy and I couldn't help but laugh softly. She looked up and smirked. "Alright, get the other dummies out and we'll start."

I nodded and Adrian kissed me briefly before going up on stage as I got the dummies out. When I finished, Alberta stood and motioned for me to start running. I smiled; normality. I started running around the large gym, taking breaths in through my mouth, out through my nose. I seen Alberta go over to Adrian and start talking to him as she watched me run to make sure I wasn't lacking.

I wondered what they were talking about and kept running, only getting bits and pieces as I passed them. After I broke a sweat, Alberta called for me to stop and I jogged over to her, taking deep breaths in. "Go over by the dummies." She ordered and I obliged as she followed.

She passed me the stake that was in her hand. "Stake one."

I quirked a brow. "What?" I asked, confused.

"Try and stake one." she said simply.

"That's it?"

She nodded and I turned back to the dummy, taking the stake, drawing my arm back and lurching it forward. I almost got it in when Alberta got me from behind and tripped me up with her foot, making me flick the stake in front of me so it wouldn't hurt either of us as I spun around and somehow got my foot out before she tripped me up. I pushed her back a little so she stumbled and then she smiled as I stayed on my feet and she caught herself. "Good," she said simply. "Though, you need to have a faster reaction, otherwise, your neck will be snapped in .3 seconds."

I sighed, on the verge of breaking. This was hard enough without thinking about those disturbing things.

"Keep trying, Rose." Alberta encouraged me. "Now, pick the stake back up and we're going to try something new."

I nodded and unenthusiastically went over, picking up the stake. I drew it back the same and once again, before I got to stake the dummy, Alberta came behind and I immediately dropped the stake. My mood plummeted and I ended up in tears as I doubled over. I couldn't remove my foot in time and I heard something crack. It wasn't my ankle, more like a toe but nonetheless, it hurt like a bitch and I bit my lip, trying to keep the tears in. The tears were flowing for two reasons though; One: My toe, Two: This was the way Dimitri died. The new practise was so no more would die the way he did. I caught myself on my hands and closed my eyes tightly, taking deep breaths in to calm down. Adrian then ran over and Alberta quickly changed everything so she was at my side and she had caught my foot from banging against the gym floor.

Adrian took me into his arms and held me to his chest tightly. "Rose... are you okay?" he asked lovingly, kissing my forehead.

I shook my head, unable to speak as he caressed my hair with his hand, rocking me gently.

Alberta went immediately, calling for a nurse and Adrian kept me close, the tears seizing as the shock died. I loved Adrian and Dimitri, as much as I still loved him and wanted to be with him, he was gone and this was just another way for me to accept it. It didn't help the pain though. I was always better with physical pain rather then emotional though so I just bared with it as vibrations went up through my ankle from my big toe and then up to my mid-thigh before dying and another wave came.

I cuddled into his big, muscular chest and rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. Adrian sensed that I was calming down and just held me. "Rose, sweetie, how bad is it?"

I looked up to him. "Not that bad." I said gently. "It was more of... the shock."

Adrian nodded and kissed my forehead. "My little fighter,"

--

When the nurse arrived, I was taken to the nurses office in a wheel chair despite my pleads not to be taken in one. I couldn't walk though, so I had no choice. They were examining me, now and I wasn't quite sure where Adrian went off to when they told him he couldn't come in. My big toe was in fact fractured and it was puffy and red, which was far from attractive but they gave me a pain killer that was doing the job for now. Luckily, my toe nail was still fine.

"Usually," the red haired nurse spoke in soft, motherly voice. Her hair was slightly wavy and she looked to be about 20 because of all the freckles speckling her cheeks and nose. She had thin eyebrows and her eyes were a dark green. She had a small nose, full lips and a dhampir build. All in all, she looked younger then what she had to be, but she was very pretty. "we don't do anything with a broken toe unless it would heal out of place. With yours, it seems to be able to go back together without any help, but it would take longer. So for your training purposes, we're going to put a big toe splint on it." she said and I sighed, nodding.

She gave me a small smile as she got up, going over to the sink and opening a cupboard below it, taking out a black and red split. There was a bottom on it, but it was only small. It only had a bottom big enough for it to support the top of the foot. It didn't cover the heel. It had a wrap around strap and a piece to cover the toe and keep it in place. She carefully fitted me for it and then slipped it on my foot gently, careful not to jostle my toe.

"It may be a little uncomfortable at first," she said positioning it a little more. "but you'll get used to it. With dhampir's, this will help it heal in about a week. In a few days you'll probably feel like yourself again and it won't hurt, but we say a week so it's fully healed. If you want though, in about 5 days you can come back and we'll take an X-ray and see how it's healed. We may take it off and leave it."

I nodded, knowing it wouldn't help with my training. I really needed to pick up my weight already and missing a week would make things worse when I got back. "Alright,"

"You can walk on it, but obviously you can't wear a shoe so I suggest staying in your room for a little while." she finished putting it on and making it as comfortable as she could. It felt like something was just clamped onto my foot serving no purpose. "And you're done."

I smiled. "Thank you." I said, getting down off of the table. The way the split was, was that you put most of your weight on your heel and the little bottom on top helped keep the top up a little more. I was wobbly until I figured that out and I took a couple easy steps.

The nurse smiled. "You're welcome, and here," she said, taking out a bottle of pills from her lab coats pocket, passing them to me. "take one of these every 4-8 hours, or when the pain comes."

I nodded and gave her a small smile, taking the pills. "Thanks," I said, exiting the room as I seen Adrian waiting for me in the waiting room.

He smiled and came over, looking down at my foot. "Let's get the injured to her room." he said, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

He chuckled but I sighed. "I really need to pick up my weight in training."

He took my hand and led me from the nurses office. "You'll get better, one step at a time."

I laughed at the irony. "Whatever,"

He gave me a reassuring grin and he walked me back to my room.

--

It had been two weeks since I fractured my toe. The splint was off and I started training again. I had had about 4 training classes. I was progressing, which I guess was all I could really ask for. We had moved on from the little things and started other more difficult ones and I began to recall most of it from my training with Dimitri. On breaks I had been distracted by him, yes, but it never hurt my training, I didn't let it. And I wouldn't let anything do it now.

I was lid down with Adrian on my bed and we weren't doing anything in particular. Our usual banter back and forth was in session and our fingers played with one another's as we did so. The last couple weeks had been pretty leisurely and not much had happened.

"You know, Rose," Adrian said, looking up at the ceiling tiles. "I think it's time that I ask you to be my official girlfriend."

I smiled, looking over at him as he grinned and turned to look at me as well. He propped himself up on his elbow as he turned onto his side. "What do you say?"

I smiled and bit my lip. "I think you're cheesy."

He smirked. "That's a yes then?"

"Totally," I said gently, leaning in and places my lips to his sweetly.

He smiled against my lips and kissed back. Before it escalated, I heard a knock on the door and giggled, kissing him one last time before I got up, going over to answer it. Lissa was there, biting her lip nervously.

"What's up, Liss?" I asked, hurriedly.

"Can I come in?" she asked in a small voice.

I nodded, "Yeah, but Adrian's here, too."

She nodded and entered as I moved aside. "He can know now."

I knew what she was talking about and I shut the door. "Did you tell Christian...?"

She nodded and didn't say another word. "Tell Adrian, first."

I nodded and looked to him as we both sat on the bed, Adrian on the end, Lissa in the middle, I on the other side of her. "Lissa's pregnant, Adrian."

Adrian's jaw almost dropped, but to be nice, he tried to hide the shock. "That's great, Liss..."

She shook her head, frowning. "No, it's not. It's horrible and scary and definitely not great."

I frowned. "What did Christian say?"

"He was... shocked. He didn't exactly know what to say. He said he was there for me and the baby, but I could tell it wasn't what he was really thinking." she said softly as I took her hand.

"Just give him some time, Liss. It's hard for a guy to digest. That he's bringing a new life into the world and you and the baby are depending on him. It's horrific as much as it is exciting. He just needs to get used to the idea of it." Adrian said, rubbing her arm comfortingly.

I smiled as he told her it and nodded afterwards. "Exactly, all he needs is time. How far along are you now?" I asked, looking down at her hidden tummy. She was wearing a shirt that tightened below the bust and then flowed out to hide her tummy. She pulled the extra material back so I could see the small bulge below the fabric.

"14 weeks and a day." she said softly.

I nodded and placed my hand on her tummy. "So you're keeping him or her?"

Lissa smiled softly and nodded. "Of course,"

I smiled. "You'd never have the heart to give him or her up."

Lissa shook her head. "Never, I love him or her already."

Adrian smiled. "Christian will come around, I promise."

Lissa smiled. "I hope so," she said, looking at her watch. "shoot, I've got a doctor appointment in the city in an hour. I'm going to go get Christian, he said he was going."

I smiled. "Alright," I said, hugging her. "Good luck."

She smiled and when I let her go, Adrian hugged her.

"Thanks guys," she said softly before showing herself out.

Adrian chuckled. "Wow... I never thought she'd be pregnant this young."

I smirked. "Trust me, from when I've been pulled into her head, I'm surprised it wasn't sooner."

Adrian grinned. "That often, huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's how I got so good at keeping myself in my own head." I shivered thinking back to it.

He chuckled and pulled me into his arms as he kissed me passionately, yet sweetly. I returned the loving kiss and closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around his neck. The kissing escalated a little and his hands moved downward, cupping my ass and I moaned softly into his mouth, letting my hands trail down his chest. His arms wrapped around my waist, pressing his hips onto mine. I gently ran my fingers through his hair, then began exploring every part of his body as if feeling a human form for the first time. My breathing was ragged, now. He rolled on top of me and remained motionless with his face hovering just above mine. I looked up, expectantly into his green eyes. "I love you, Rose." he murmured before crashing our lips back together.

He brought his hands to the bottom of my shirt, hesitating as if asking for permission. I nodded, still kissing him and I helped him lift it over my head. Soon, all of our clothing was on the floor and I felt him enter me, passion flooding through the both of us.

--

Author's Note:

I hope you guys like this chapter and I want to say that I'm going to be skipping 3 months ahead in the chapter coming. So, the next thing you read will be 3 months after this all taken place.

If you want to know what I've got in store, review and the next chapter will arrive more quickly, I promise.

Thanks for reading!

~ DramaticField

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