Alright I'm so sorry guys my hubby was super sick then I caught it so its been a mintue since I have been able to write but we are back on track and ready to go
Chapter 15: A moment of peace
The next month passes in a whirlwind, trials are edging closer and closer. My little bump is becoming more noticeable and we are nowhere closer to figuring out who is behind the ongoing threats. I can barely go a week without something happening. The most recent bout of attacks include letters written anonymously and left in places I would find them. The latest is penned in red ink and currently sit on the nightstand beside my bed
You should have let me finish this when I first tried now it's going to be so much harder for you both.
All in all it's fairly similar to others, most of them threaten me and the little munchkin inside. Poor Dimitri is running himself ragged with Abe trying to find the person sending the message with no luck. Whoever it is knows all Abes tricks as well as the layout of the school. How to avoid the cameras and get from point A to B unnoticed. On top of all that I have to do my trials three months pregnant and pass, piece of cake right? I try to push the thoughts out of my head. Today is a happy day. I remind myself today we get to figure if little Belikov is a boy or girl.
The soft scuttle of the door opening shifts me from my thoughts and I pop my head out of the room to see Dimitri ever early never late. The thought makes me giggle.
His arms wrap around my waist resting on my belly. "Are you ready Roza?"
"Yes, just let me grab a hoodie." Most of my clothes don't fit anymore. So I have resorted to leggings and sports bras around the house, always tossing an oversized hoodie on before leaving. The whole school is buzzing with the news that Rose Hathaway turned Rose Belikov has a bun in the oven. Even bigger news was how her guardian husband was sticking by her even though she obviously cheated on him. It's honestly wearing on me and while I enjoy seeing my bump around the apartment I feel better hiding behind fabric when outside.
The walk to the clinic is thankfully a quiet one no we had scheduled it during classes hoping for this very outcome.
Dr. O rushes us back to the room as soon as we get in, she warned us this appointment would go painfully slow as she had to do measurements, I also have to have a full bladder. I cannot express to you how cruel it seems to make a pregnant woman hold it for an hour while everything is checked, finally just when I feel like I'm going to explode she lets my run to the bathroom.
"Do we want to know the gender?"
Dimitri and I both say yes in unison.
She moves the stick around pushing against my stomach until she gets a clear view "It looks like you are going to have a little boy on your hands."
\My heart jumps straight into my throat… a son. Dimitris' eyes are watering and I can tell he's trying to hold it back.
"You'll have me outnumbered." Laughing I lean over and kiss his cheek. This little moment with our son twisting around on the screen, is the ray of light we need to keep pushing forward.
Dimitri clasps my hand as we walk through campus earning us more annoying stares. I honestly thought people would be over it by now, but nope everyone has an opinion and everyone wants to have the last word. Most of the ridicule stays at bay while Dimitri is here I mean teenagers are asswholes but no one is stupid enough to mess with the Russian God, at least not to his face.
"What time will your shift end?" unlocking the door to our apartment I step in knowing he's only here for a few minutes before he has to leave again.
"I have to clock back in, 20 minutes or so from now."
"Do you want to video chat with your family? We can tell them we're adding a boy to even out the count." Dimitri has three sisters, two nieces and one nephew. That along with his grandmother and mother left him and his nephew Paul sorely outnumbered baby boy here doesn't really even the playing field but he definitely makes it a little more even.
"Sure, let me grab the laptop." As he leaves the room, I wander into the kitchen to grab a snack.
Cheese.. Cheese sounds so good right now. Opening the fridge I pull out a thing of string cheese, the very top portion is open but I pay it no mind. I probably ripped it last time I tried to snag one in a hurry. String cheese is honestly the greatest invention ever. Slowly peeling each piece I wait for Dimitri to come back with the computer. A dull ache in the back of my head slithers around inside my skull, causing my stomach to twist into knots. Everything freezes. I can't move my eyes won't even blink they're stuck in a stony stare. My mouth fills with something but I have no control as it spills out and down my chin. I can see Dimitris' panicked look and somewhere in the distance I can hear words but they don't make sense. Fog covers my brain, I know I need to pull myself out. Come on … wait what's my name? I can't find it through the thick clouds covering me. I know there's something I should be careful of… the man in front of me looks so frantic I can panic as he makes a phone call… I don't know why but I want to comfort him, only my limbs are frozen solid at my sides. I don't know how much time passes. Why should I care?
Dimitri's POV
Finally finding the laptop charger I head back out to the kitchen to plug it in and call home, the thought of a son has my heart soaring, literally giddy with laughter. Those moments can only last so long though. Roza is shaking in her chair, eyes frozen, foam slowly making its way from the corner of her lips. "Roza!"I try to pull her back, calling her name as I struggle with the annoyingly small numbers of my phone. Come on pick up!
"Hello?"
"Dr.O it's Rose I think she's having a seizure.." I can barely compose myself to get the words out.
The line is quiet for a moment as she processes what I am saying "I'll be there as fast as I can."
The line goes blank. Careful as I can I lower Rose and roll her right side pulling one leg a left farther over to balance her. There's nothing else I can just hope she comes to soon. Terrified, I hold her steady as she rocks praying to God this ends soon.
Rose POV
The fog starts to clear and I find myself staring into very worried chocolate eyes. I don't know how I got here but I'm lying on the floor of my kitchen, my limbs feel heavy, my body honestly feels like I just ran 40 laps. Damn why does this shit keep happening? Carefully sitting up I try to speak but the words come out all jumbled.
Dr.O speaks "Rose, listen you had a seizure, it's going to be okay just take a few breaths and let your body recover for a moment."
Dimitri must feel the feel in my eyes because he opens his arms towards me, clumsy and not at all graceful. I fall into them. The soft lub dub of his heart and the feel of his fingers tracing my back calms my breathing until it's back to normal.
"What happened?"
"I don't know Roza, I came out of the bedroom and you were on the floor."
"Rose, were you eating or drinking anything do remember? There's nothing from your blood work earlier that would indicate a seizure, maybe an allergic reaction?"
"I was eating string cheese but I'm not allergic to…" A realization hits me like a ton of bricks. "Comrade it was already open, there was a tear at the top. I just thought that I had torn it before but maybe…"
Understanding fills his eyes as he pulls out his phone. It's only a moment before the person on the other end answers. "Abe, there's been another attack."
After making sure the baby and myself are both okay Dr.O leaves giving strict instructions to stay off my feet for the next few days. Abe has already send the stupid cheese out to be tested for any chemicals or poisen. He and Lissa are both giving me concerned looks as I cuddle into Dimitris' lap. "Why does this keep happening and why the hell can't we figure out who the asswhole threatening us is?" The frustration I feel at this moment is unreal.
"They always seem to be one step ahead of us. No matter how careful we are." Abe muses, stroking his beard "How did they get into your apartment?"
"I don't know… you guys Dimitri and I are the only ones with a key."
Dimitri seems deep in thought "There is a master key for emergencies. It opens pretty much every door on campus but it's kept under pretty tight security. Only a guardian at the academy has access…. Even then the process to use it is extensive."
"So you're saying a guardian is trying to kill me…. Well us." My heart sinks and my hands rest protectively over my bump.
"I'm saying that a guardian has to be at least helping whoever is trying to get to you." Dimitris' arms tighten around me as he buries his face in my hair.
"I can't even eat the food in my own house." I slump groaning as I rest my face in my hands.
"Of course you can, we just need to be more careful." Dimitris' voice echoes softly against my ear. It's going to be a long next few months.
The tall maze ahead of me blasts the sounds of running yelling and other comotions. The noise only makes me more nervous as my turn to enter moves closer. Finally my name is called, Raising my stake I ready for the siren to signal my trails have begun, The sound blares through the gym and I dart into the maze followed by a guardian I have never seen dressed all in grey, this grey means this guardian is playing as my Moroi. The guardian moves slowly and I do my best to encourage him, ushering him forward with constant reminders of safety. Every few feet a guardian meant to act as a Strigoi jumps out but I "kill" them quickly and continue forward creating a rhythm. It feels like hours have passed by the time we see the "safe house" really I just have to retrieve the flag from the top of the pole. " Alright you can do this just across this bridge and we're safe." Giving my Morio one last reaffirmation we head onto the bridge. As we pass the middle five or six guardians make their way towards us, damn that's a lot to take down in the space. After a moment I realize my best plan, turning to my Morio I whisper a hushed "Hold on and cut the rope holding the bridge in the air. Watching as the guardians fall, careful not to hurt my protectee, I climb around him and pull myself up before clearing the area and pulling him behind me. Grabbing the flag I sigh in relief and exhaustion. My trails are finally over.