Okay... At long last I've got the next chapter up! It's another big one, and a lot happens so I hope you all enjoy it.
This isn't the last chapter, one more to go... :-( Sad hey.... But it will all finish up, so if you have any
questions about any of the story, I will make sure that they're all answered.
Thanks guys, you're great!
Sandy
Chapter Fifty
A Whole Bundle Of Love
"Interesting.... interesting Liss? YA THINK!" Christian growled, he looked furious. I looked up to Dimitri and...Rose...and then back to Christian. "This is BULL SHIT Liss...." I winced at his tone, but I could see his point. I quickly got up and grabbed a cushion from the sofa and brought it back to cover Christian's...modesty.
"I'm sorry." I said. "I didn't mean for this to happen." He glared at me and then over to...me...Rose... Ah!
"Will you please just...change back? I can't look at you like...this." I knew he didn't mean that in a bad way. I nodded and got up to walk over to Dimitri and 'us'.
"Huh! Us..." I mumbled to myself.
What? Rose asked through the bond.
Nothing Rose, just mumbling to myself...don't worry about it. So how did we change back last time?
Like we normally do, just think about going back to yourself. I nodded and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was looking at Dimitri's worried face and Rose's angry face... She put her hand on Dimitri's shoulder and then he looked over his shoulder to her and realised we'd changed back.
"Are you alright Lissa?" He asked me.
"Yes, thanks." He nodded and let me go and then took Rose in his arms. I looked over to my fuming husband who was sitting on the sofa and then I told Rose that I'd come talk to her in a minute and then said goodbye to them. Now the hard part....
Rose's Point of View
I stood at our bedroom window and looked out at the gardens. Even though it was night time, the gardens were dotted with lights and it looked like a fairytale. I remember running around with Lissa when we were little playing hide and seek in the small maze that was in the distance, we'd pick flowers from the Rose and Daisy bushes and bring them in for Lissa's mum when we visited Victor. He used to glare at us when we did that because he didn't want the flowers picked, I suppose that's why I did it... I closed my eyes as Dimitri put his arms around my waist from behind.
"Can I help?" he asked tenderly. I shook my head and fought to keep my self control. I was NOT going to cry... I was sick and tired of crying all the time. I was tougher than this, Rose Hathaway NEVER cries, EVER! He didn't say anymore, he just held me. Even though I knew I'd done nothing wrong, I couldn't help but feel like I had. Physically it was Lissa's body, but the rest...it was all me. Dimitri grabbed my shoulders and tried to turn me around to face him but I couldn't look at him right now.
"Please Dimitri, don't."
"You did nothing wrong Roza. Please look at me." He said gently. I let him turn me around but I kept my eyes closed. "Open your eyes maya krasaveetsa; you have nothing to be ashamed of." The instant my eyes opened, silent tears fell and he wiped them away.
"I know, but until now... I've only ever been with you, I know that was Lissa's body, but it was me in there. I don't want to remember this..." I whispered into his chest.
"I'm so sorry Rose." Liss said from the doorway. I didn't need to be looking into her eyes to see how much she meant that, I could feel through the bond, but it still didn't help what I was feeling right now... When we'd changed bodies, I was with Christian...really with him, body, mind and soul.... We all knew that I didn't, but the feeling that I'd somehow betrayed Dimitri weighed heavy on me.
"I know Liss. Can we just not speak of this again?" She looked at me with so much guilt and nodded. She knew this happened because she was using spirit while doing....that. A double whammy sent my way, and in my fluctuating emotional state...it was just too much for me to stop.
"I can make you forget." She said simply. I looked at her and saw her tears fall onto her cheeks. "You put up with so much from me, the darkness, labour pains; being sucked into my head....and now my body, it's not fair; it never has been. You did nothing wrong, you shouldn't have deal with this too." I thought about it for a minute...could I ever look at Christian again without that memory coming up? For it to work, everyone would have to forget and that would take a lot of spirit that I couldn't afford to take on. Liss must have read my thoughts. Not me... I'll ask Robert and Yelena, they can take it away. I nodded.
Robert, can you hear me? I called out. He could hear my thoughts because he was so much stronger than Liss, Adrian or Oksana in his spirit ability... Yelena probably came the closest, but we were still finding out just how strong she actually was.
Already on my way Rose. I looked up to Dimitri who was looking at me a little confused, but before I could tell him what was going on, Robert and Yelena were at our suite door standing next to Liss.
"Could someone please tell me what on earth is going on?" Dimitri asked.
"They're going to make us all forget; I don't want to remember something that didn't physically happen to me, I don't want to look at Christian and see...that every time."
"I understand." He looked up and nodded to Robert and Yelena. "So what now?" Yelena walked up to me and looked into my eyes as she tilted her head and I felt the tickle in my head as she saw my memory where it started down stairs with my parents...where the darkness first started to take hold. Then she looked at Dimitri and saw his version of events, then Lissa; she looked rather embarrassed though.
"I have to see Christian and then your parents. I need to see the events from all angles so that we...don't miss anything." Just then they walked out with Liss. Dimitri and I just stood there in each other's arms and it wasn't long before they were back with my parents.
"Okay," Robert started... "We've seen everything and we've thought up a replacement memory. We'll plant it deep so that it will be permanent, you won't remember anything, I promise." He said looking at me.
"Thanks." I said.
"There's one problem though Rose." Yelena said. "You both need to remember the lesson here. You can't afford for this to happen when you're fighting. Lissa was calm in the fight with Sonya because we were there and she knew she was safe. It won't always be that way and if she tries to 'help' you when you're fighting and you switch...you'll both end up dead. So...we need to keep some details..." I cringed at the thought of what I would remember. "Okay... here we go...."
A little while later......
"What's wrong with you?" asked my father when he saw Dimitri's reaction. I looked up into his eyes smiling...daring him to tell the truth to my father. I should have known better....
"Ask your daughter, she's the one who likes to play rough." My face instantly reddened as peals of laughter emanated around the room. I was suddenly aware that the room was full of people. I looked up at him and growled, my fists balled up and I strode out of the room. I couldn't believe he would do that... It was bad enough that he'd said that in front of my parents, but in front of all the people who'd just arrived... Now they'd just be looking at me like some cheap blood whore, confirming what they probably already thought about all female Dhampirs.
"Rose..." Dimitri called from behind me.
"Go away."
"Roza." Suddenly he was in front of me...damned Strigoi speed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you."
"You just confirmed what they already think of Dhampirs. We're nothing but..." I couldn't keep going. I didn't know why I was feeling so mad, I could feel myself starting to shake and Dimitri noticed it too.
"Is Liss using spirit?" he asked me. I quickly slipped into her mind and sure enough she was, but not in the normal way... She was making out Christian...again...and somehow she was transferring spirit into him at the same time. It really wasn't a good idea to slip into her mind at that point in time...with both of us experiencing extreme feeling right now....So I quickly screamed at her....
LISSA! What on earth are you doing?
Rose? Oh no....sorry. I got carried away.
No shit Sherlock! What if I'd...got pulled in after you'd got to the next step? Liss...come on, you know I can't block you like I used to with these bloody pregnancy hormones in high gear...
I'm sorry Rose. Forgive me?
Only if you don't do it again.
I Promise Rose!
I slipped back into my head and glared at Dimitri. "I can't believe you said that."
"I'm sorry." That only made things worse... First Liss, 'I'm sorry Rose...' then Dimitri, 'I'm sorry Rose...' I was sick of people saying sorry. Why couldn't they just think first, then they wouldn't have to be sorry! Just then I saw Yelena and Robert walk towards us. "Hi guys." I said in greeting.
"Hello Rosemarie. Dimitri." Said Robert. He leant forward to me and whispered, although I don't know why, he knows Dimitri can hear everything anyway... "Don't worry; everyone who laughed now only remembers a funny joke." He blinked and I suddenly felt a lot better.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome my dear. You better get ready; your mother's 'get together' starts in hour." Mmm.... how could I forget? They walked away but when they looked back to us I could tell something was up with him...I was always able to feel when he'd been doing his 'thing'... whatever it was he did. I would have to find out what he was up to.
"Come on my love." Dimitri said as he scooped me up in his arms. "I got you a surprise." I tried not to smile because I was still a little cranky with him, but I just love surprises...especially his, so I tried to hide it by resting my head against his chest as he ran to our room. Just over an hour later I walked out of our room thanks to my loving husband. His constant time updates every five minutes had been annoying but at least I was only about ten minutes late... We walked downstairs and I saw my parents at the front door greeting more guests, my father looked up to me and a huge smile spread across his face. He excused himself and came over to me.
"Kiz, you look amazing." He kissed my cheek and took us over to my mother. Dimitri's surprise was this stunning dress I was wearing. It was a stunning, blood red strapless floor length gown that fell around my curves in all the right places. The bust line was ruched together and then fell down the middle of my small belly (pic in profile). Liss had come in and pulled my hair up into a messy bun that fell down my back. Mom and Dad introduced us to all of their guests and then we were led into the grand ballroom. It took my breath away... massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling over ornately decorated tables, table centrepieces arranged in white and pale lavender roses, the finest Gold and bone cutlery laid out for something a little more than a 'get together'. I looked to my parents and smiled.
"Rose," my mother said seriously. "Would you stand up for me, would you be my matron of honour?"
"I'd love to mom." I said with all my heart. At the front of the ball room, an alter had been erected and once everyone had been seated, the wedding took place. My father looked so proud to finally have my mother say that she loved him out loud and in front of everyone who knew him. I could see that he never stopped loving her and I was truly happy for both of them. I glanced around at the tables and saw Adrian and Vikki holding hands and just staring at each other throughout the vows, Adrian had finally found his own love. Our world was changing that's for sure. After the ceremony my parents, Dimitri and I went over to sit at our table and for the next few hours 300 of some of the richest and most powerful (and scary looking) Moroi feasted on foods from all around the world. I was in heaven! As the night wore on and food had been devoured, Dimitri took me out to the dance floor and romanced me for all he was worth...not that he needed any help in that department, but hey...I'll take whatever he gave me. As the sun started to make an appearance, more and more Moroi retired to their rooms or to nearby hotels. Everyone congratulated my parents on their beautiful wedding and wished them all the best.
"Thank you Rose, after everything we've been through, you didn't have to stand up for me."
"That's all in the past mother, it can't be changed, but I love you and it was my honour." Just then I clenched my arms around my stomach in pain... Oh...I knew this pain... "Oh..Shit!"
"Rose?" Yelled my mother as she grabbed for me.
"Roza!" I looked up at Dimitri and grimaced in pain.
"Looks like....bubs wants to come...a little early. AAHHH!" He once again scooped me up and headed to the room that I had the scan done in after the attack. My always thinking husband pulled out the pager that Dr Walsh had given me from his pocket and pressed the button. Within seconds Dimitri's phone rang and he was telling the doctor what happened and where we were heading, apparently he was in the next room and would meet us there. I moaned and grimaced the whole way there and as much as Dimitri didn't like seeing me in pain, he couldn't hide his excitement.
"It will all be okay my love, I will be with you every step of the way."
"Oh really? Ya think! Like you would be....anywhere else. It's all fun and games getting it in there, not so much fun coming out! OH... bloody hell!" We finally got to the room where Dr Walsh was waiting in his white coat.
"Hi Rose, impatient baby hey?" He said with a smile... I hated people smiling at me when I was in pain...
"Doc... if we're all going to get through this...." I grimaced as another pain hit. "Unscathed... then don't smile... don't laugh and don't piss me off!" He looked at Dimitri who shrugged his shoulders and then back at me with a nod.
"Okay then, put her on the bed, I'll have to do an exam to see what's going on, I'm sorry Rose, but it has to be done." I nodded but was NOT looking forward to it. I think he was worried what I was going to do to him. Dimitri quickly helped to change me into a gown more suited to giving birth in and then the exam took place. It seemed that I was an inch dilated... three to go.... Woo Hoo apparently....
"What are you smiling for?" I said through clenched teeth. Dimitri looked like he had just won Best Pig at the local county fair.
"I'm just really, really happy at the moment." Honestly...I wanted to be nice, but I just couldn't be right now, I just glared at him. "Don't be like that Roza; just think...soon, you'll be holding our baby." I was about to say smile and say sorry when another pain hit.
"Oh, holy shit...." I gritted my teeth and breathed through the contraction. "You know, I wasn't kidding when I warned the doctor about not smiling. That went for you too."
"I love you."
"Don't try to butter me up buster; you're not the one who has to push it out."
"I would if I could my love."
"Shut up." He smiled again. "Stop smiling Dimitri... I'm warning you." He scrunched his face up and pouted his lips...
"Is this better?" Oh! He didn't seriously say that. I punched his arm hard, not that it would have hurt him, but before I could say or do anything else my mother's head poked into the room.
"Can I come in Rose?" I nodded. "How are you going?"
"Oh you know... just peachy." I said sarcastically.
"But there's to be no smiling..." said Dimitri as he lifted one eyebrow.
"I can understand that." Mom said.... FINALLY! We agree on something. "I actually did punch my doctor when Rose was born; knocked him out. Then they had to go find another one who was willing to take his place." I was about to laugh but yet another friggin contraction hit and I gripped the bed with one hand and Dimitri's hand with the other. Good thing he was almost indestructible now because I think I would have broken all the bones in his hand otherwise, I couldn't help but scream and that's when my waters broke.
"Oh..that's gross..." I said. Dr Walsh appeared almost out of thin air and my mother took her place on the other side of me to Dimitri.
"Okay, well...that should speed things up a bit." The Dr said.
"This hurts more than before!" I yelled in between pants to the Doctor. I was referring to when Liss went into labour. "Something's wrong..."
"No Rose, everything is fine. You were able to block Lissa's pain by the time she'd got to this point, and plus...this time it really is your body going through it."
"So it only gets worse!" I yelled in horror. Something in my face must have been funny as all three started laughing, but then something else must have swept across my face as they all stopped within the blink of an eye. "Can't you just cut it out? Oh for shiii....." I stopped talking and clenched my eyes as pain raked through me again.
"Breathe Rose." Said the Doctor.
"I don't want to do this anymore...." I growled. By the clock on the wall, I'd been going for nearly two hours and even though I wasn't exactly tired... I hated to be in pain, I really hated it. I just wanted it over with.
"Maya krasaveetsa, you can do this..." His eyes held mine with such determination. "You're strong as is our child." The contractions were coming thick and fast now and I couldn't help but think how well I was keeping my self control in check. After all, I'd only hit him once during this whole time, not bad going considering.
"Dimitri... Don't." I didn't want to take it out on him but I knew he could take it and I knew he wouldn't hold it against me. I got another contraction but this time I couldn't help but push at the same time... The urge was overpowering.
"Okay Rose. You're fully dilated now. Push...." I just glared at him...
"Oh REALLY...." I growled again... "Thanks for telling me... AAHHH shit, shit, shit..." I pushed over and over and over and I could feel the burning as the baby crowned.
"No Rose... Don't stop, keep going... one more push and the head will be out." I pushed again, but holding your breath for long periods of time really tires you out fast. "One more push Rose..." I just glared at him... One more push my ass! I'd heard all this before... I should have warned him about that too, no smiling, no laughing, no 'one more friggin push'.... "Come on Rose, you can do it."
"Come on Rose...you're so close." Said my mother. What is this?... a friggin football game! I closed my eyes and gave one more push and then felt the burning continued....
"The head's out Rose, keep going." Someone said... I don't know who said it; I think it was the doctor. Through the puffs and pants and the sound of blood rushing in my ears...I really don't know how I heard him. I kept pushing and clenching the hands that were in mine. This was seriously the worst pain I think I'd ever been in... Worse than broken ribs, worse than a cracked skull, worse than.... well just plain friggin worse! "One more..."
"Don't say it!" I said panting after my last push... I was quickly in the grip of yet another pushing urge but this time, I'm glad to say resulted in a positive outcome. The feeling of my child leaving my body was one of mixed feelings... relief that it was finally over and worry that he or she would be alright.
"Why can't I hear crying? Is everything alright?" Just then I heard the most wonderful sound; my baby let out the loudest cry and tears flowed down my cheeks.
"You want to cut the cord Dimitri?" he asked. Dimitri nodded with wide, tear filled eyes as he walked to the bottom of the bed and was handed surgical scissors. I laid my head back against the bed and my mother put her hand on my cheek.
"I'm so proud of you. You did...so well Rose." Dimitri came back and put his hands on either side of my face...
"My love... would you like meet your son?" I laughed through my tears of joy as Dimitri put my little boy onto my chest.
"Hello my darling. I've waited so long to meet you." I kissed his forehead and cried at the same time that Dimitri leant forward and kissed my forehead; I looked up to see more love in his eyes than I think I've ever seen before.
"Thank you Roza. You have given me the most precious gift I could have ever asked for. I love you with every fibre of my being." Then he kissed my lips softly and then he kissed his son.
"Do you have a name yet Rose?" Asked my mother, she was standing beside me with tears in her eyes.
"Yes we do. Say hello to Aleksandr Maksim Belikov."
"What do those names mean?" she asked.
"Both are Russian names, Aleksandr means 'Defender of Men' and Maksim means 'The Greatest'. Seems fitting." Dimitri said with pride.
