Chapter 32: Friendship

AN: Sorry for being away for so long and not having a hugely long chapter to show for it, but in reality this is just sort of a filler chapter in between two moments of action (or suspense, or something). Anyway, I do have some good news. Remember how I said I was depressed? Well, I've entered a program that will hopefully help me get better. Thanks for not giving up on me updating, and wish me luck! (fingers crossed)

It seemed like an eternity before the discussion resumed, but I noticed that it was not fueled by hot tempers anymore. No, the cardinals had become pensive, thinking the situation over carefully. More of them seemed to be on my side. Cardinal Claudius had not said anything up until this point, but in the lull following the last cardinal's statement, he chose to finally speak up.

"Unlike you, I have met the child personally," he said in a thoughtful tone. I could easily imagine him stroking his beard. "Whatever the parentage of these children, their future is not yet set in stone. In fact, that is the exact reason that she is here, to protect her children from this Dracula's negative influence. Therefore we cannot automatically assume the worst will happen."

"That's right," another cardinal added. I recognized his voice as the one who had first defended me. "Why should we not give her a chance? We can decide later what to do about any complications that arise." There was a rustle of robes as someone shifted in their seat.

"Then we vote," Claudius said gravely. "All in favor?" There was a pause. "All opposed?" Another pause followed. It was impossible for me to tell the verdict and they would adjourn soon. That meant that I had to hightail it back to my room if I didn't want to get caught, so quietly I stole back to my room to await the news, be it bad or good.

I did not have to wait long, and that told me that I had gotten away just in time. It had been close. There was a soft yet authoritative knock on the door to my room. Rising slowly from my position on the bed, I made my way across the room and opened it to reveal Cardinal Claudius standing there, a small smile upon his face.

"The news is good then?" I asked hopefully. His smile broadened and he replied, "Yes. I would like to formally extend to you the protection of the Vatican." There are no words to describe the amount of relief that I felt upon hearing that phrase. I sagged against the doorframe in relief.

"Thank you," I whispered.

As he walked away, I wondered idly what I would do in the roughly two months I had before I was due. Amazing that I had even been able to keep track of time, really. As it was, I soon found a kindred spirit.

It was two weeks into my stay at the Vatican, two long weeks of roaming the halls silently, much as I had once done at Castle Dracula. The location was radically different, but, besides pray, there was not much to do around the Vatican.

Until, that is, I met Allison.

I had gone back down to the Order's workroom a few times, simply because it was such an interesting place, but each time they'd chased me out, muttering something about how it was too dangerous a place for someone 'of my condition'. I scoffed. People always underestimated the abilities of pregnant women, a view that I extremely resented.

The third time I went down there was different. Everybody was too busy to notice me that day, or, for that matter, the three-year-old boy running around beneath their noses. He was the cutest little thing with chubby little cheeks and light blonde hair, but I pitied his mother. Currently, he was trying to shove his little hands into anything and everything that he found interesting.

Including a box of heavy (for him) tools. Rather than let him drop a wrench on his foot, I scooped him up.

"Hey there little guy," I said, taking the wrench from him gently. "Let's not hurt ourself, okay?" I carried him to the edge of the room and looked around. "Now where's your mother?" I wondered aloud.

"Mama?" he asked.

"Yes, you mother," I told him absently.

"Carl!" A woman with dark blonde hair rushed over. "Thank you for finding Carl," she told me as I handed the boy over to her. "He's constantly running off. This is the fourth time in two weeks." Her tone held no small amount of exasperation and I smiled.

"It's no problem," I told her. "I'm Destiny."

"Destiny…"her voice trailed off. "Oh yes, that girl who arrived not two weeks ago?" I nodded. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Allison and this little bundle of trouble here is my youngest, Carl. I swear, my other two were never this mischievous."

This elected a laugh out of me and I sensed that Allison and I would get along quite well.

And we did. Over the course of the next two weeks, our friendship grew and blossomed. Towards the end of June, she showed me her favorite part of the Vatican: one of its gardens.

"The monks grow herbs and such over there," she said, pointed in the correct direction. "But I like to sit surrounded by flowers."

She led me to the middle of the garden where a beautifully sculpted fountain lay, it's spout in the shape of a girl pouring out a water jug. Around it grew a multitude of flowers. Some I recognized, like roses, tulips, and daffodils, and some were new to me.

As we watched little Carl run around, Allison turned to me. "Destiny, I know I have no right to pry, but what makes you so sad all the time?" I had never told her exactly why I was here.

"I left the man I loved behind," I said softly.

"Why?" she asked, just as soft.

"He was not someone you wanted to cross for any reason and I worried about his influence on my children. It was not an easy decision for me to make."

"Of course not. I know that there's a lot you're not telling me, but you probably did the right thing."

I watched Carl try to catch water droplets spraying out of the fountain.

'I hope so,' I thought to myself. Aloud I said, "Sometimes I ask God why I went through what I did. I've never gotten a straight answer, but then again, the situation was very complicated."

"Perhaps He knew that you would be the only one strong enough to withstand it," she suggested, putting a comforting had on my shoulder. Everything happens for a reason, even if that reason is unclear. Just have faith that everything will work out all right and it will." A tear slipped from my eye, then another. Allison drew me to her and held me while I cried.

"I miss him," I said brokenly, trying to speak through my tears. My stomach was clenched from crying. I put my head on her shoulder with a sigh as my stomach clenched again.

I jerked away as my brain finally realized what was going on.

I was going into labor, and I was a month early.

Uh-oh. I wonder how this is going to go?