This is the last instalment of My Saving Grace…Hope you enjoy! Reviews and reviewers are very much loved :)
Epilouge Part 2: FOUR YEARS LATER
I parked on the quiet suburban street and gazed up at the ordinary-looking red brick house, smiling at the wooden sign we'd carved on the outside. With some effort, I extracted myself from the car and made my way into the house, where a familiar blonde head of our newest member of the team, Stacey, was working. She'd set up a desk in the foyer area of the house, there was what seemed like a comfortable waiting room around the entrance. It had, of course, been decorated by Lissa.
"Hi, Rose!" Stacey said brightly. "How's it going?" I nodded.
"Yeah, pretty good. Lissa around?" She nodded.
"Yup, just in there with Bella at the moment. She said you were welcome to go on in if you arrived." I smiled my thanks and walked through the house until I reached what had become the little legal office Lissa worked out of two days a week. I inched the door open to see Bella, a teenage girl of about fifteen, hugging my best friend tightly.
"Thank you so much, she sobbed. I don't know what I would do without you guys." She lifted her mop of red curly hair to see me, and gave me a shining, beautiful smile-the first I'd seen in nearly a month.
"Rose!" She cried. "Lissa just helped me get my testimony straight for tomorrow. If all goes well, my brother said I can stay with him."
"That's great," I told her warmly. "Congratulations, Bella."
"You guys have done so much for me," she said with sincerity. "You have no idea how much it means." Lissa and I exchanged a glance. Actually, we did- because there had been a time, a long time ago, when we'd needed almost exactly the same thing.
"Is that husband of mine around?" I asked Lissa when Bella exited the office. She nodded.
"Yeah, he was in with Adam a while ago. I heard some screaming, but I think they're done now." I chuckled, squeezed her shoulder, and walked out again, wandering the halls. Downstairs there was a rec room, a few offices and the counselling office, which I'd dubbed the red room of pain, and upstairs there were five little bedrooms. I paused, smiling at seeing the colourful, hanging sign on the wall that spelled out the name of this place. Second Chances. You see, what we had done, after moving to San Fran, getting married and completing my course, was to set up a business. Well, it had originally started as a not-for-profit organization, but after it grew rapidly in popularity, foster homes and childcare services started offering to pay us for what we were doing. Which was great, because even though Dimitri was a partner in Sydney's practice, and I was filling my time with matrial arts coaching and small-time acting, our finances had been pretty stretched.
So in short, we had bought a house which we opened up to troubled young people who needed help, be it legal or emotional, or simply just a place to call home for as long as they needed. Lissa did most of the legal side of it, aided sometimes by Alberta, whilst Dimitri did the serious-side of the counselling- kids with depression, ED's, and I did the more "get yo ass into gear, you can do it" side of things. The fact that the local police had a tendency to drop in in the form of Mason, Eddie and Alberta showed them that they weren't (for the most part) evil bloodsuckers, but they were actually people who genuinely wanted to help them. We'd had up to fifteen kids at once one time, but mostly averaged between seven and five. On average, they stayed two or three weeks, but there had been one kid who'd stayed two months. Dimitri and I never really slept here, we had our own small house a few blocks away- most of the time, we'd arrive at eight and stay till nine or so, we'd usually eat with the kids. It was one of the most rewarding things I think I could have been doing with my life.
"Hey, Rose? Dimitri? Lissa?" Stacey called. "We just got a letter, you might want to come and see it."
I bumped into Dimitri in the hall, and grinned at him.
"Hi." He leaned in, giving me a quick peck on the lips.
"Hi to you too." We met Lissa in the foyer, and she handed me an envelope.
"From the State of San Francisco?" I read out, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged, ripping the envelope open and scanning the official-looking document.
"Oh my god," I breathed, looking up, stunned. "Oh my god!" I exclaimed.
"What?" Lissa said excitedly, looking like she was about to burst.
"They're-they're giving us government funding!" I said happily, and Lissa squealed in excitement, pulling me in for a hug.
"That's amazing!" Lissa exclaimed. "Gosh, that'll help so much, it just shows that-" Suddenly, I gasped, feeling a strange sensation inside me, and doubled over. My midsection felt very warm, then cool all of a sudden. I raised my eyes to Lissa and Dimitri, and gulped.
"I'm literally going to have to rain on this parade, guys."
"What?" Lissa asked concernedly. I grimaced.
"My-my water just broke."
I gulped in apprehension, watching Dimitri stomp down on the accelerator as we screamed through a red light, his face a picture of intensity.
"Comrade, you're overreacting," I said, trying to soothe him. "It's gonna be fine. We're gonna be fine. Peanut's gonna be fine." We had named the bub peanut, because at our first ultrasound, whilst Dimitri was nodding politely that yes, he could see the outline of the baby, I had announced it looked like a freaking peanut. And so, it had stuck. He gripped the steering wheel even harder, and the engine protested as he pushed down even harder on the gas. I heard sirens from behind us, and a few voices yelling to pull over.
"Belikov. Pull over," I ordered. "I do not need to have this baby on the side of the road waiting for you to get out of jail." He rolled his eyes, and pulled over.
"Are you okay?" He asked anxiously. "Does it hurt? Are you doing the breathing exercises?" I grinned, leaning over to kiss him.
"I'm fine, you big worrywart. Now get out of the car with your hands where they can see them." He sighed, and turned to get out, but then the officer's pissed-off face appeared at the window.
"What the hell do you-" Mason paused, looking at us. "Guys, what's wrong?" He asked.
"I'm having a baby," I said bluntly, and Mason sighed.
"You used that last week, Rosie, just so you could get to the doughnut shop before they closed. I'm not falling for it-"
"She's having a freaking baby!" Lissa shrieked, pulling up behind us. "Let's go, Ashford!" Without a single further look at us, Mason fled back to the car, putting the lights on and using his megaphone to warn all the other cars on the road to "get the fuck out of our way".
"You are all overreacting," I groaned. "Shit! I need to tell my mom." Dimitri handed me his phone, and, deciding I couldn't handle much more screaming, I texted both of my parents.
Peanut's a-coming down the mountain. R, x. I passed him back the phone and he raised his eyebrow, but made no comment. Within a matter of five minutes, we were at the hospital.
"Okay, now let's all just-hey!" I protested as he swung me into his arms, charging for the front desk, immune to my protestations. We passed a few perturbed passerby, and I raised my voice. "Down, Hulk! Sorry," I told the passerby. "He's still learning how to act around people." The woman hurried off, and I wriggled in his grip.
"Comrade, I'm pregnant, not dying," I hissed. "I can walk." He gave me a smile that crossed the line between sweet and evil, and winked.
"This or a wheelchair, love. You choose."
"Fuck you," I grumbled, resting my head on his shoulder in defeat. Just then, my friends clattered in to the building- Lissa and Christian, followed by Mason and Jill, Eddie and Mia, Adrian and Sydney.
"How long ago did the contractions start, Ms. Hathaway?" A kind looking nurse asked me. I grimaced, knowing I'd most likely be in the shit with Dimitri for this one.
"Um, about five hours ago. They're once every minute now." Dimitri's body tensed, but he said nothing as the nurse escorted us upstairs to a private room.
"How much trouble am I in?" I asked, my voice small. He chuckled, and the sound, as usual, never failed to raise goosebumps up and down my spine.
"Lots," he breathed back. Everything was happening very quickly- there was the room, then the bed, then the hospital gown I argued wasn't fashionable, and the gay male nurse totally agreed with me-Dimitri did not. I remember most of my friends leaving, telling me that they'd be outside, that I would be fine. Lissa and Christian, who we'd already named Peanut's godparents, stayed, and Dimitri was sitting next to me holding my hand when the cheerful female doctor came bouncing in.
"Hi, Rose, my name is Dr. O," she told me brightly. "Wow, doing good, huh, sweetie? Only about another half an hour until showtime begins."
"Begins?" I gasped. "What is this, the fucking pre-dinner drinks?" The doctor chuckled. I glared at Dimitri through my eyelids.
"This is your fault," I muttered. "If you could have just kept it in your freaking pants, we wouldn't be here right now."
"I didn't exactly have to drag you kicking and screaming into bed," he drawled back. He smirked at me. "Well, Maybe the screaming bit, actually."
"Ew," Lissa cringed, but the silly comment made me grin.
"I love you," I told him. His hand was on my cheek.
"I love you too," he said gently.
"I feel sick," Christian complained, and both Lissa and I hit him. Dimitri subtly moved anything that I could use as a weapon out of my line of reach, probably a wise decision.
"Now, Rose," the nurse said, bustling back in with a nurse. "You're not having the epidural, are you?" I snorted.
"Doc, I'm brave, not stupid." Another wave of contractions overcame me and I gritted my teeth. "Stick the goddamn thing in me!" I hissed. Christian snickered.
"That's exactly the kind of talk that explains how you ended up here."
"Ozera, I swear to god," I hissed, squeezing Dimitri's hand as I felt the needle go in.
"Okie-Dokies!" The male nurse exclaimed. "I think we all need to give momma and daddy some space now. Momma's heartbeat is a little high right now-"
"-Shocker," I interjected-
"-And we need to keep her as calm as we can." Lissa shot me a concerned look.
"Rose, I'll be right outside the door, okay?" I nodded, and she bent down to give me a huge hug. Christian hesitated.
"Don't die or anything, Rosie," he told me, leaning down to give my shoulders a quick squeeze.
"I'll try," I muttered back, trying to fight a smile. I really did love Christian like a brother, even if he was the most irritating person I'd ever met, sans Dimitri.
"Your mom and dad aren't allowed in, but they're right outside," Dimitri informed me, rubbing soothing circles into the palm of my hands. I swallowed hard.
"People are usually allowed in, right? Is something wrong?" I asked the Doctor, who shook her head.
"No, honey. Your heart's a little fast, but the epidural is going to help with that." I had to agree- already, the pain was lessening. "It's all just happening very quickly, we just want to make sure you're relaxed," she explained.
"Relaxed," I said dryly. "I am as relaxed as one can be when you're about to start pushing a baby out of your v-"
"Okay, kiddo!" She said cheerfully. "Pre-Dinner drinks are all done now. You can start pushing."
ONE HOUR LATER
"Are you alright?" Dimitri murmured as he pressed a cool cloth to my forehead. I grinned dazedly.
"Are you kidding? I can fucking see noises right now. Whatever that shot was, it's brilliant." However, I found that it all-too-soon started to wear off, and although I begged, pleaded and damn near blackmailed the doctor, she refused to give me any more.
"If you ask me one more time if I am 'alright', I cannot be held responsible for my actions," I gritted, and Dimitri promptly shut his mouth.
"Okay, Rose," one of the nurses told me. "One more big push, that's all we need." I bit my lip.
"It hurts," I whispered to him, watching his expression knit with concern and worry.
"I know, Roza. Come on, you're nearly there. Peanut's nearly here," he whispered, and that sentence gave me the strength I needed to do what they told me. What seemed like an eternity later, the fuss and clamour around me faded and then was silent as a new sound screeched through the air. It was the sound of a baby crying. I collapsed back into the pillows, my eyes shutting, but I forced them open in time to see a purple-ish bundle being carried towards me.
"Well done, Roza," Dimitri whispered, stroking my sweaty hair. "You did it, sweetheart. We have a daughter." I managed an exhausted smile, holding my arms out instinctually for my crying child, who stopped crying the second we touched.
"Hiya, baby," I whispered, then shot a glance at Dimitri. "You sure she's a she? We had a gender-confused puppy, we don't need a gender-confused baby." Dimitri laughed as we both looked down at her in amazement. She was perfect- big round, pink newborn cheeks, surprisingly bright eyes and the tiniest nose I had ever seen. I rested my head against Dimitri's chest.
"Comrade, we're a family," I said softly, and the tears threatened to fall, but I kept them back. "You want to hold her?" He nodded, a smile lighting up his gorgeous brown eyes, and, placing a kiss on her soft forehead, I passed our child to her father.
"You're beautiful, just like your mommy," he said in a singsongy voice, his eyes full of so much love. "We've been waiting for you for such a long time," he whispered, tracing her perfect little face. Suddenly, there was a crash, and my parents, plus Olena, managed to bring down the door, using Mason as a battering ram. It goes without saying that much crying, cheering and exchange of money- they'd placed bets on her gender- occurred before we were finally allowed some peace and quiet with her. It was about seven in the morning when I found myself sitting on the bed, Dimitri facing me, whilst we watched our child sleep in the space between us. The nurse had opened up the blinds and I could see that outside, it was a beautiful, sunshine-y day.
"I'll leave you three in peace," the last nurse said gently with a smile, flicking the radio on as he left. We sat there for a few moments, just enjoying the sunshine, the peaceful, blissful warm moment, before I heard the words warble out of the old-fashioned radio, filling the sunny room.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me…
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now, I see
T'was grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace, my fear relieved!
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come…
T'was grace that brought me safe thus far,
And Grace will lead me home…"
The song from our wedding brought back such beautiful memories, and the lyrics even more beautiful ones. Dimitri and I looked at each other and shared a smile, and our hands found each-others on the mattress as we sat, looking down at our daughter. There was a quiet smack as our baby girl put her tiny hand on top of ours, wakening enough to look up at us with those beautiful, captivating, wide-blue newborn eyes. Her tiny mouth opened wide into a little yawn as she looked up at us serenely, peacefully, happily.
"Welcome to the world, little Hathaway-Belikov," Dimitri murmured as he leaned over to place a lingering kiss on my lips. I smiled, captivated by her beauty, her freshness, her innocence. She was what had brought us together. She was the unlikeliest miracle ever. She was the only thing that had saved us. My eyes locked onto hers and I saw in those eyes a bright future, full of love and family, of endless potential and possibility. This was one of those amazing moments where I could actually feel the world shifting as I looked down at my daughter, as new possibilities, new stories and adventures and horizons opened up right in front of my eyes. I couldn't wait to start exploring them- with her, with Dimitri, as a family.
"Yeah. Welcome to the world, Grace," I whispered.
So, that's it, folks! I can't believe it's really over. I really, really loved writing this story, it's been so much fun and a big thanks to all the encouragement I had from so many readers. I think the ending was fitting, and NO, there will not be a sequel, I think Dimitri and Rose have had enough heartbreak to last them a lifetime.
So, what did you think? If you've read and enjoyed this story, it would mean a lot if you could review with one thing you liked and one thing you disliked about this story. Also, what did you think about the baby's name? About what Rose and Dimitri are doing in the future? Thanks so much for reading-
Em xx
