Chapter 21

It was Tuesday, May 1st, 1984.

It is one in the morning; Bella had been wrapped in the arms of her lover and father to her child.

She'd been dreaming of their daughter growing up, she was beautiful and very smart, she'd been showing a man and woman, her adoptive parents Bella guessed sadly- a drawing she made of a family tree, but it appeared to be of the founding fathers. The adoptive mother appears to have made a snarky remark to her daughter upsetting her. Then time seemed to shift and blur.

The next thing she knew she was in her daughter's bedroom and she sat on her bed coloring.

"Hello, darling." Bella said to her.

"Mommy!" The girl shouted as she ran and hugged her.

"Oh I'm so happy I get to see you."

"Me, too. I don't like Karen. She wants to hurt my real Daddy and Alexander."

"Who's Alexander?" Bella asked raising an eyebrow.

"Your son." The young girl said smiling.

"Sweetie... What is your name?" Bella asked.

"What you name me... You're my real mommy."

"Amelia." Bella said not even having to think twice.

"That's right, mommy." Amelia said taking her mother's hand and leading her into a colorful nursery. The two walked to a crib. Inside it was the most beautiful little boy. Bella loved him instantly.

"But the doctor said he-"

"Was inside me? He was, on pause waiting to be implanted, and he was, in Karen. She believes she's his mommy, but she's only a surrogate. He's your son, mommy, and you can name him if you want just like you named me. Karen calls him Alexander." Amelia said.

"What does Karen call you?" Bella asked. Her daughter tensed uncomfortably.

"I dare not say the false name she gave to me. I am Amelia. That's who I am."

Bella nodded understanding before picking up her son and holding him. She saw the 666 mark on his tiny hand and made her decision.

"Jesse. Jesse Mark Thorn, just as you are Amelia Sue Thorn."

Amelia turned her head hearing a door slam and some yelling.

"Mommy, give me Jesse! You need to leave!"

"What? Amelia what's happening?!"

"Please just do it! You have to go!"

Bella handed her son down to her daughter and the two heard a gunshot making Jesse fuss slightly.

"I can't just leave you two now!" Bella said.

"Goodbye mommy, we love you." Amelia said sadly kissing her mother's cheek.

The next thing she knew, Bella awoken and sat up in bed screaming in pain, awakening Damien with worry.

"Bella, what's wrong?!"

"The baby... The baby is coming!"

"What?!" Damien said his eyes widening Bella screamed in pain again.

"I said the baby is coming, WE NEED TO GO!"

Damien quickly helped her out of bed, threw a pair of slacks and a green shirt and some shoes on and helped her to the car running around to the driver's side and driving fast. The two made it to the hospital and rushed inside.

"This woman's in labor!" Damien shouted for help, before he even knew it, the nurses who had helped the couple the past nine months had her sit in a wheelchair and moved her away holding Damien back.

"Bloody hell; Let me see her, that's MY baby she's giving birth to!" Damien shouted angrily.

"We're sorry Mr. Thorn... There are certain special things needed to be done for this birth, you cannot be present."

It then clicked in his head. The mentioning of some birthing ritual had been brought up in his mind some time ago. Disappointingly, he agreed and left.

On the bright side, he did have a few stops to make.

"Right in here, Mr. Thorn." a nurse with short curly black hair said opening the door for him.

"Thank you Miss...?"

"Roselli. Lisa Roselli. I'll lead you to meet your daughter. A beautiful baby girl, born at May first at 6 A.M. Weighing 6.66 pounds!"

"Thank you."

"Oh! And don't worry about a cross hanging in that room, it's obviously a little more special than the others." Lisa said winking at him. Damien smiled a little brighter. Good to know there were a few people there on his side.

Damien walked into the hospital room, holding two dozen purple and black plastic roses, remembering that they are Bella's favorite along with a huge stuffed Rottweiler.

He looked to the mother of his child, she looked like she always did, except more tired. She held a bundle of pink in her arms before gathering the strength to look up into the eyes of her love.

Damien stared at her loving her as much as ever. He walked to her and pulled up a chair next to her bed and sat beside them.

Bella looked at the flowers and stuffed animal and smiled gratefully to her boyfriend, loving both items completely.

"M-may I see her?" Damien asked. Bella smiled and revealed her tiny face. Damien instantly loved this baby completely and unconditionally. Damien reached his finger out to the baby, and she grabbed it. She was tiny, but she had dark brown hair like his, and she slowly opened her eyes. Hazel.

"She looks just like you, my love." Bella said to Damien.

Damien smiled at his daughter. This was the moment. He knew it.

"Bella... We don't have to give her away, we could keep her, and... And be a family. City Hall isn't too far from here; you and I could get married right now... And we can be a true family." Damien said looking into his love's eyes.

Bella smiled weakly.

"We know we can't. ...it's a shame, too... If we could keep her... I'd name her Amelia. Amelia Sue Thorn."

"I like that... It's a pretty name. Amelia it is."

"Damien... We can't keep her. No matter how much we want to."

"Why not? Why can't we, Bella?"

"You know exactly why. If you honestly believe I don't want or love Amelia, you're wrong. I want and love her just as much as you do Damien. She's my daughter too. But we're eighteen years old, we can't raise a baby."

Damien didn't want to admit it, but once again, he knew she was right.

So he sighed, showing his defeat.

"But... I would love to marry you." Bella said.

"Really?"

"Yes, Damien Thorn. I'll marry you."

"Good... Because I was worried for a second I'd have to return this." Damien said holding out to her a white gold with a large square diamond and small round diamonds surrounding it giving the image of a large round set.

Bella's eyes almost popped out of her skull.

"Oh my! Damien, this ring is amazing!"

Damien slipped it on her finger smiling.

"Only gravel compared to you." he smiled.

Lisa came back in, her face pale.

"Mr. Thorn, Ms. Giles... We have... Some very horrible news..." She looked like she could cry.

Damien and Bella were terrified.

"I thought you said the baby was fine?!" Bella said angrily holding her daughter.

"She is... It, it isn't your daughter..."

"Then what is it?!" Damien demanded.

"...It's Bella. During labor... Things got moved around, and... I... Miss Giles will have maybe the rest of the day, maybe sooner before she..." Lisa couldn't look the couple in the eye.

Damien knew what she was going to say. Die. Bella was dying. The love of his life was dying. He turned to her and Bella looked to him smiling sadly. Lisa left the room.

"Marry me today." Damien pleaded.

"Sweetie, I-"

"Just say yes! Please say yes, love this might be your last day!"

"I don't have the strength to make it to City Hall... Let's get married here, in this room. We don't need a piece of paper to prove our love... Damien, I take you as my husband, today and even when I'm gone until you can join me, because you give my life purpose. You give me joy and passion and things only you could give me... You're the only person I could ever be with completely. I love you, and am proud to die as your wife." Bella said smiling. Damien looked at her, and tried not to cry.

"Bella, you are a woman one finds once in my life. Never again will I find another you. Never again will I take a wife. I vow to you on Amelia's life, that I will care and hold you. For you are the most precious thing in this world to me... And you are the best thing that came of me being the Antichrist. I am honored to be your husband." And with that, he leaned down and kissed his wife deeply.

Bella heard Amelia laugh, happy to be the witness of the marriage.

"I know this is impossible, but I hope you will always think of me as your true mother, and... I hope you'll remember me." Bella said to her baby. Her daughter looked right at her as if she completely understood what Bella just said.

"And don't forget about me. Please remember that I'm your father, sweetie..." Damien cooed to his daughter holding out a finger, she grabbed it and giggled.

The nurses came back in and took Amelia from them and Damien held his wife's hand. They spent the day talking, occasionally kissing, but mostly talking, reminiscing.

Before they knew it, it was five minutes to midnight.

"Damien?"

"Yes?"

"I remember when we first became friends. I couldn't get over how handsome you were, and how lucky I felt. How lucky I am... I'm so proud of you, baby. I always will be... I know you'll do the right thing. I love you."

"I love you, too, Bella."

"And Damien?" She said a tear rolling down her face.

"Yes?"

"Remember the first day we met? And how we had class together?"

"Yes."

"I was staring at you..." She smiled crying lightly and closed her eyes while holding his hand... And then, she was gone.

Damien felt so numb. He stood up, told the doctors and nurses what had happened, and once everything was in order, he took his daughter home with him.