Well, since one can consider the last chapter as the calm before the storm I thought it was a perfect way of naming this chapter. Hope you'll enjoy.

Chapter 18

The Storm

"And I guess you have also already planned when we will do it?" a whispering voice asked into the darkness.

"He is meeting with some of his friends at Saturday. It is the perfect opportunity."

"It's supposed to snow again this weekend." A third voice whispered.

"All the better. Then they can't track us." The second voice answered just as quietly.

"Where shall we go to?"

"Leave the country. As fast as possible."

"I need to go somewhere first." The first voice spoke up again.

"Where to?" But he didn't receive an answer.

"Don't tell us you want to see that woman!"

"This is none of your business!"

"Hey! Be quiet!" Another whisper interrupted them.

"What do you want with her? She's married with one of them!"

"I know that there's more to that marriage! She wouldn't stay with someone like that if she had another chance! He has her under some spell or something!"

"Sure. Whatever you say."

"Stop it! Or do you want to stay here?" He was met with silence.

"Hadn't thought so." He mumbled and with that the conversation was over.

Angelina frowned at her reflection and pressed her hands against her stomach. Adrian watched her from the bed and sighed.

"You're far from being fat."

"I'm not far from being fat. I will be fat in a few weeks. And it won't only be my stomach; my arms and legs will swell with all the water and I will end up looking like a balloon." She whined.

Adrian closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten before he opened his eyes again.

"I thought you said the mood swings should have happened in the first months." He murmured. As it seemed, her hearing had increased with the pregnancy for she turned away from the mirror and glared at him.

"Well, I didn't know I was pregnant then. I have a right for my mood swings and the want to eat everything I can think of. And since I couldn't do this before I have to do this now."

"Is this some female logic?" He knew he shouldn't have said that as soon as Angelina's mood changed from whiny to angry. She had her hands on her hips and glared dangerously at him. Adrian sighed and arose from the bed, slowly walking towards her.

When he stood in front of her he put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, leaning his forehead against hers while he looked into her eyes.

"You are not fat. You won't be fat." Angelina opened her mouth to speak but he silenced her with a gentle kiss.

"You are beautiful. And you will always be beautiful." He whispered against her lips.

"I won't be beautiful once I carry a ball in front of me." Angelina replied half-heartily.

"Of course you will." Adrian smiled. He kissed her once more and guided her slowly to the bed. He lay down on it and pulled her gently on top of him, never leaving her lips while he did so.

"Adrian…" Angelina sighed but it was obvious she wanted to say more. Adrian released her lips and looked expecting at her.

"I want chocolate."

"Chocolate?" he asked disbelieving.

"Chili chocolate." She confirmed and kissed him one last time before getting off the bed.

"Chili chocolate." Adrian repeated, still not sure he had heard right. But the pleading look in Angelina's eyes was not something he was able to resist. Now all he had to do was find out where the hell he would find some chilly chocolate. He would be lucky if he could find some at all in Europe he guessed.

"I still can't believe we really came here! I can already see us getting caught because this idiot can't see that his whore has become one of them!"

"She's not a whore!"

"Shut up! Both of you!" The speaker turned to face the man who had first spoken.

"Let him go and see her Dave, and then we're gone." He turned to look at the other man now.

"And you, be silent for Merlin's sake! You want to talk to that woman, good, but don't make any noise! I'm not letting myself be caught over some woman who decided against you!"

"She hasn't decided against me!" The reply came through gritted teeth.

Angelina stopped on her way out of the living room when she heard something outside. She reached for her wand and slowly walked towards the glass doors that lead outside. As soon as she had opened the door she saw a movement to her right. She turned around and found herself face to face with

"Fred! What are you doing here!"

Fred grabbed her arm and tried to pull her towards him.

"We're leaving the country."

"We?"

"Yes. We. Come on, Angel, I know you don't want to be here – with him. I know you better. He must have some kind of spell or…"

Angelina pulled her arm away from him and took a step back.

"Are you completely out of your mind? In case you have forgotten, I left you years ago! I'm certainly not going anywhere with you! And now leave!"

"Fred, come on! We have to go." One of his friends called to him from the darkness. Fred turned again towards Angelina and grabbed her arm a second time.

"I know that's not you talking. I know you don't want to stay here!"

"Fred, leave this instant!"

"I know you don't want to be here!" He insisted again.

"Fred, either you come this moment or we'll go without you!"

Hearing this Fred did the only thing he could think of. He pulled Angelina close to himself and put his hand on her mouth to keep her silent. He took the wand away from her and moved his other hand around her waist when he started to pull her along with him.

Angelina could feel her necklace falling from her neck into the snow as she tried in vain to get away from Fred. She took a desperate look back to the house as she was dragged along.

"What?" Dyson asked when Adrian stopped as soon as they entered the house.

"Something's wrong." His cousin replied.

"What do you mean with that?" Marcus asked behind him.

"I don't know what it is. But something is definitely wrong here!" Adrian walked slowly through the hall, not sure what exactly he was looking for.

"Angie?"

Adrian turned around and looked at the top of the stairs where Julia was standing in a nightgown, her teddy in her arm.

"Julia, where is your sister?" Adrian asked, the feeling that something was wrong increasing. Julia only shrugged and came downstairs.

"She isn't in your room." she yawned and clutched her teddy to her chest.

"Adrian." Dyson called from the living room.

Julia followed the men into the living room and walked to stand beside Adrian when he stared at the open glass doors. Adrian took a few steps out into the snow and reached down to take the necklace into his hand.

"Adrian?" Dyson asked him as he watched his cousin staring off into the distance.