A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about the wait. I had a hard time getting back into the rhythm of writing this story :P But I'm back now, and things are moving quite smoothly :D chapters are going to be shorter, though. I think it's better to have shorter chapters and update faster, rather than longer chapters and update slower :)
One little thing: I made a mistake with my math calculation in chapter 23. Rose isn't 17 weeks pregnant, she's really around 24 or 25. Let's just go with 25. I obviously couldn't do math right when I posted chapter 23...see, I couldgo back and change it, but I'm really too lazy. So, disregard the whole "17 weeks pregnant" and remember that it's actually "25 weeks pregnant".
On with the chapter!
~Sarah~
CHAPTER Twenty-Five
"Someone murdered Queen Tatiana!" she exclaimed.
My eyes widened. "What?" Maybe I hadn't heard her clearly.
"Are you deaf? I said that someone murdered Queen Tatiana!" she shouted.
Dimitri and Viktoria came running out. "What?" they asked at the same time.
"Dear God, are you all deaf? The. Queen. Was. Murdered. M-U-R-D-E-R-E-D!"
"Holy shit! When?" I asked.
"About two hours ago. It's pretty bad around here . . ." She gestured around her.
My hand flew to my mouth. Sure, Tatiana had been a bitch, but she didn't deserve to die.
"How?" Viktoria asked quietly.
Mom grimaced. "She . . . she was staked."
I winced. "That's horrible," I murmured.
Viktoria gasped. "Adrian! I have to get to him!" she exclaimed, pushing past everyone.
"But you'll freeze!" I called after her, but she was already gone. "Dammit! She's only wearing slippers and pyjamas!" I said, groaning. I was about to put my shoes on, but Dimitri's hand on my shoulder stopped me.
"Let her go," he said softly. "Adrian needs her now."
I sighed. "You're right." I turned back to my mother. "Do they have any leads?" I asked.
She shook her head morosely. "No one. It's going to be hell around here for a while." She rubbed her temples as if she had a headache. Which, she probably did.
I shot her a sympathetic look. "Do you want some ibuprofen?" I asked her, wrapping an arm around her.
"Ibuprofen would be nice," she replied. The three of us walked out to the kitchen, where I grabbed a cupcake and started eating it. Mom eyed me weirdly. "Isn't it a little late for cupcakes?" she asked.
I shrugged. "I'm pregnant. What do you expect?" I held another one out to her. "Want one?"
She shook her head. "No thanks, honey," she said tiredly, downing the ibuprofen and water she'd gotten.
After finishing my cupcake, I grabbed a cookie and ate that too.
Mom looked around, belatedly noticing the decorations. "You guys decorated?" she asked.
I nodded. "All of us either baked or decorated. We watched 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' after that."
"It looks nice," she said, putting her glass in the sink. She sighed. "I'd better get back to Abe. We'll talk more in the morning, okay?"
Dimitri and I nodded. I gave my mother a hug, manoeuvring around my belly. Which reminded me. Pulling away, I spoke. "By the way . . . you have two granddaughters and a grandson," I said, grinning.
A radiant smile pulled up the corners of my mother's lips. I couldn't help but notice how much younger she looked when she smiled, how pretty she was. "I'll be sure to pass that one on to your father," she replied, pulling me in for another quick hug.
Dimitri and I walked her to the door. "Abe and I will be over again soon," she assured me.
I nodded. "Okay. Bye, Mom."
"Goodbye, sweetie. Bye, Dimitri," she nodded in his direction.
"Goodbye, Janine," replied Dimitri.
We shut the door behind her and made our way to the living room to wait for Viktoria to come back.
Dimitri put more logs into the fire before sitting next to me on the couch. We turned no lights on; we simply sat by the light of the fire.
I felt my eyelids growing heavy. Dimitri stroked my hair in a steady rhythm, furthering my drowsiness.
"Sleep, Roza," was the last thing I heard before I dozed off.
Viktoria POV
I ran through the snow, the wind chilling me to the bone. Damn, I thought. I should have at least grabbed a jacket, or maybe even some shoes!
Shaking my head, I hurried through the snow, not stopping until I got to Adrian's apartment.
When I got there, I knocked on the door. "Adrian? It's me," I called, hoping he'd hear me.
Moments later, the door opened to a haggard-looking Adrian. "Viktoria," he breathed. He ushered me inside and locked the door.
When we got to the living room, he collapsed in a heap on the couch, his body shaking. I sat beside him, pulling his head on to my lap and stroking his hair to try to console him.
We sat like that until his shaking ceased. He looked up at me with a tear-streaked face. "You're soaked," he said hoarsely.
"I forgot to grab a jacket," I admitted, shivering a little.
Adrian wiped at his eyes. Sniffing, he got up, extending his hand to me. I was about to ask him what he was doing, but he just shook his head and led me to his bedroom.
He started digging through his drawers. Satisfied, he pulled out a t-shirt and some boxers. "Change into these," he told me.
Nodding, I grabbed them from his outstretched hand and made my way to the bathroom to change. I was grateful for warm, dry clothes, though there wasn't much I could do for my hair. I just re-did the ponytail and left the bathroom, balling my wet clothes up.
Silently, Adrian took my clothes and left the room, coming back moments later. "I put them in the dryer," he explained. I nodded.
He walked up and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Please stay with me tonight. I don't think I can take being alone," he whispered brokenly.
"Of course. I wouldn't even think about leaving you alone when you need me so much." I looked around. "Where's your phone?" I asked softly. "I need to call and tell Rose and Dimitri that I'm not coming home."
He took one arm from my waist and pulled his iPhone from his pocket. He handed it to me, and I dialled the number for Rose and Dimitri's house. It rang a few times before Dimitri picked up.
"Hello?" he said, sounding tired.
"It's me," I said softly. "I'm staying with Adrian tonight. He needs me."
"Okay, I understand. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye."
"Bye, Vika."
I ended the call and handed Adrian his phone. He slipped it into his pocket and led me to the bed.
I laid my head on his chest and held his hand. "Are you okay, Adri?" I asked, looking up to gaze at him.
He shook his head. "I . . . I just don't understand. Who could do that? Why? Why?" His voice was so agonized, and it hurt me to see him so hurt. It was like I could physically feel his pain.
"I don't know, Adrian. But they will be found and punished for it."
My words must have reassured him, because he'd calmed down.
Suddenly, he attacked my lips with great intensity. It was dizzying, the way he kissed me. I couldn't understand why, but I didn't want to stop. He needed me, and I'd be there for him, no matter what.
My arms snaked around his neck, hands gripping his hair. His tongue slid across my lip, and my mouth quickly opened. He moaned quietly when our tongues connected. He rolled so that he hovered over me, his weight on his legs as his arms trailed up and down my sides, making me shiver.
He pulled away briefly, his eyes locking with mine. "I love you, Viktoria Belikova. You're so beautiful . . . even more so with my clothes on," he whispered, leaning his head against mine.
I sat up to whisper in his ear. "What about with them off?" I asked, trailing my hands down his chest.
Slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, he eased my—his—shirt up and over my head, tossing it to the side. His eyes glazed over as they trailed down my body, clad in only a pink bra and his silk boxers.
I reached out and grabbed the hem of his t-shirt, edging it up until I pulled it over his head. I admired his defined abs and perfect chest, running my hands all over it.
He growled and pinned me to the bed, his lips on mine once more. He began trailing kisses down my jaw, neck and collarbone, sucking and nipping my skin occasionally.
"I love you," he whispered, sliding my boxers off and leaving me only in underwear.
"I love you too," I replied quietly, slipping his pyjama bottoms off.
Rose POV
I woke up the next morning in my bed, Dimitri stroking my cheek.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said, smiling at me.
"Hey," I croaked, my voice thick with sleep. "How did I get up here?" I asked.
"I carried you up after you fell asleep on the couch. Vika stayed at Adrian's last night because he needed her," he explained.
"Oh. Okay," I replied, sitting up. "How about we go make some breakfast? I'm starved," I joked.
He pecked me on the lips. "Sure, Roza."
I got out of bed and pulled my robe on. Together, Dimitri and I made our way down to the kitchen.
"Sit down, I'll make you something," he said, stroking my cheekbone with his thumb.
I nodded, plopping down in one of the chairs at the breakfast bar. I watched as he expertly made pancakes, cooking them to golden perfection.
He set down a plate in front of me. Four pancakes were neatly stacked atop it. He then placed some maple syrup and butter beside my plate, along with a butter knife. Grabbing a plate of his own, he sat beside me, and we started eating.
When we finished, we heard the door open.
Just as Dimitri was grabbing for his stake, a soft voice called out, "It's us."
Dimitri exhaled. It was just Viktoria and Adrian.
"We're in the kitchen," I said, loud enough for them to hear me.
They walked in seconds later, holding hands. Adrian's eyes were red and bloodshot; he looked like he hadn't slept a wink. Viktoria looked almost as bad, but she was radiating positive energy. There was something electric about her.
I stood up from my stool and ran over to Adrian. Completely disregarding my sticky hands, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. I felt it when he began to shake, so I hugged him tighter and held him as his tears fell.
"Oh, Adrian," I said, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "How are you doing?"
He sighed. "Better than last night. I really just want to find out who did this," he replied, wiping at his eyes.
"I know." I felt bad for him. Even though Tatiana had been a bitch, she was still his great aunt, and he'd loved her. And for her to have died in such a horrible way must have really hurt.
"Do the two of you want some pancakes?" Dimitri asked softly.
"I do," Viktoria replied.
"None for me, thanks," said Adrian. Viktoria gave him a sharp look, and he sighed. "One," he muttered in defeat. "Just one."
"How many for you, Vika?" asked Dimitri, who was sliding a pancake onto a plate for Adrian.
"Three."
"God, Vik, you're turning into me!" I exclaimed, grinning. She rolled her eyes and sat on a stool, pulling Adrian with her. I just kept grinning.
Dimitri turned to hand Viktoria and Adrian their plates, then spoke to me. "What time are you supposed to go shopping with Lissa?"
I looked at the clock on the stove. 10:00 pm. "Damn! I have to get in the shower now. Liss is gonna kill me . . ." I said hurriedly before rushing upstairs, grabbing some clothes, and running into the bathroom to shower.
I finished showering as quickly as I could, got dressed, then ran back downstairs. I grabbed my coat and my boots, pecked Dimitri on the cheek, then hurried out the door.
Lissa was just coming up the walkway when I closed the door behind me. "You're late," she said in greeting, adjusting her earmuffs.
"Sorry. I didn't realize what time it was when I got up, and then I had some pancakes, and Adrian and Tori came over . . ."
Lissa's face turned solemn. "How's he holding up?"
"He doesn't look good at all. It must be really hard on him, losing her. He really loved her, even if she was a moody old bitch." Lissa smacked my arm, but I continued. "Dying the way she did must have been horrible . . . I wonder who did it?" I mused, pulling my mittens on.
"I don't know, but what I do know is that I don't feel safe here. If someone could get into her heavily guarded room and stake her, think of how easily someone could get into our homes!" she exclaimed.
I put an arm around her. "I'd never let anything happen to you, Liss."
She gestured to my inflated stomach. "There isn't much you'd be able to do, Rose. You can't risk hurting the babies."
"Well, as long as you're with Eddie or Chris, you'll be fine. But, hey, even pregnant, I bet I could still kick some major ass," I said, grinning.
Lissa rolled her eyes. "Just keep walking."
We arrived at the shopping area of Court a few minutes later. We went into a few clothing stores, where both Lissa and I bought some clothes, though mine were from the maternity section.
Next, we headed off to buy some paint for the babies' room. It took a while, but we finally decided on light green with dark brown.
Our last stop was a store that sold everything baby. We wanted to start picking out how we would decorate the room.
"Oh Rose! You have to get this!" Lissa said excitedly, pointing to a giant plush giraffe. "It could go right in a corner of the room!"
I grinned. "It is really cute . . . but today, we're only here to look," I reminded her.
We headed off into the section of the store that sold baby clothing. I couldn't help smiling at all the tiny clothes and shoes.
Suddenly, Lissa squealed and ran over to a rack. "Oh. My. God. Rose, look at these little dresses! And the little corduroy pants . . . you have to buy some baby clothes. I'm not letting you leave this store with nothing," she told me, and I could feel that she meant it.
I laughed. "Okay, Liss."
Satisfied, she smiled. She turned back to the baby clothes. "Okay, so they're going to be too little for those, so we'll need some onesies . . ." I paid no attention to what she was saying, because she was mostly talking to herself. I just looked around the store, my thoughts on the three little babies that I couldn't wait to meet. I rubbed my belly lovingly, earning a few kicks.
I wandered over to where the furniture was, and my breath caught in my throat. Just ahead of me, I spotted a beautiful wooden rocking chair. It was dark brown, and had white cushions on it. The thing is, I could see myself sitting in it, rocking a baby to sleep. I knew that I had to have it.
I walked over to the sales clerk. "Excuse me, but could you tell me how much that chair is?" I asked, pointing to the chair.
"Sure," she said, grabbing one of those portable price scanner things. We walked over and she scanned the barcode, then examined the screen on the scanner. "It's one-hundred and fifty dollars."
My eyes widened. One-hundred and fifty dollars for a chair? I asked myself. I had the money, but it seemed like such a waste . . .
. . . but I had to have it. It would look so perfect.
"I'll take it," I told her. "Would I be able to have it delivered later on?" I asked.
"Of course, but there's a small fee," she warned.
"That's fine," I replied with a smile. "If it's alright, I'm going to do a little more shopping before I pay for anything."
The lady smiled. "Take your time, Miss."
I walked back to the clothing section, where I found Lissa with an armful of baby clothes. I smiled and shook my head. I grabbed a basket, and she gratefully dumped them all in.
"Did you find anything?" Lissa asked.
I grinned. "Oh yeah. Now, let's go look at cribs!" I replied enthusiastically. Lissa clapped her hands happily, and we took off.
~VA~
Two hours and almost eight-hundred dollars later, we got back to the house. I was eager to show Dimitri all of the stuff I'd bought.
"You know what?" I asked Lissa as we walked up the walkway.
"What?"
"I really need to thank Abe for the credit cards."
Lissa burst out laughing, and nearly dropped the bag she carried. I unlocked the door quickly so we could get inside before she dropped the can of paint she held.
Dimitri greeted me with a kiss, and then he took both cans of paint. "What colors did you two get?" he asked.
"Light green and dark brown," I replied. "We were thinking of doing patterns on the walls, like, one wall with stripes, another with dots, then inverse the colors on the other two walls."
"Sounds good to me, Roza." He eyed our shopping bags. "What else did the two of you buy?" he asked.
Grabbing him by the arm, I pulled him into the living room and sat on the couch. Lissa tossed me a bag, and I began pulling baby clothes out.
"We couldn't resist, Dimi," I said, grinning. I pulled out a little blue onesie that said "My Daddy Kicks Butt." "We have two more for the girls," I explained.
The corners of Dimitri's mouth turned up in a smile. I could tell he liked it.
Lissa and I showed him all of the little outfits we'd bought, and his eyes sparkled. I think that the clothes made it even more real for him, as they had for me.
There was a knock at our door, and Dimitri grabbed for his stake. I rolled my eyes. "Dimitri, it's just the delivery guys."
His eyebrow shot up. "Delivery guys?" he asked.
"Well, I might have bought some furniture . . ."
He shook his head in amusement. "You shouldn't be allowed to go anywhere with a credit card. It's highly dangerous, it seems."
I stuck my tongue out at him before going to open the door. Sure enough, it was the delivery guys. I signed the paper on the clipboard, swiped my credit card on the machine they provided, then stood back as they brought the boxes in. Dimitri went out and helped, looking amazed at everything I'd bought in such a short time.
Once all of the boxes were in and the delivery people had left, Dimitri looked around him at all of the boxes. "What did you buy?" he asked incredulously.
I ticked everything off on my fingers. "Three cribs, a changing table, a rocking chair, a giant giraffe"—I grinned at Lissa—"three car seats, and a stroller for three."
He shook his head in amazement. "I really need to start going with you to keep you in check," he said, grinning.
I grinned. "Yeah, whatever. Now, go put on something old, because it's time to paint."
Did you guys like it? Like I said, shorter than other chapters :P the next one should be up soon, though :)
So, Tori and Adrian got a little hot and heavy...;) I think they're just sooooo adorable together!
Did you guys like the shopping part? I did :D
Next up: The rest of Christmas Eve. and then Christmas :D :D :D
Review, please! They make my day just a little bit brighter :) and I really need a brighter day today...it's my Nan's birthday, which is hard for all of us at my house since she died a few years ago. She'd be turning 90 today.
~I Heart Herondale Boys~
