The end is finally here! I'm so sorry this chapter took me so long. It took me forever to get it right and I've been quite sick too. I know this chapter is a little longer than my usual length but I hope you all enjoy!

I stared at the woman in the reflection before me, studying every grave detail with precision. It had been two months since my delivery to Noah and I had only lost a bit of pregnancy weight. It made me feel a little insecure in the white strapless mermaid-dress I had on, and I couldn't stop making small adjustments here and there to somehow conceal the extra meat. Dimitri had reassured me countless times that he loved and adored my body, and I believed that he did, but I wasn't sure how I felt about it myself. I missed my slim figure and I had been trying to get back into a workout routine, but I didn't have as much time now. I was home almost every day with Dimitri to take care of the kids.

Noah was a huge light in our lives and we loved him dearly, but we had been losing sleep for a while, taking turns to calm him whenever he woke up crying in the middle of the day. Something else that had been bothering us just a few weeks after delivery was our uncontrollable urge to be intimate with each other. We knew we'd have to hold off on sex for a while, but it was making us feel so crazy that we ended up seeking help from Dr. Lee about a month ago. She had told us that because of our strong bond, the need for physical intimacy was a huge side effect—and that included sex. It was almost like an animalistic instinct that we couldn't quite control. We had been sexually active during my pregnancy too.

Dr. Lee's solution was to have another family member or close friend babysit the kids once a month. I didn't like the idea of anyone else handling my baby, but the sexual urges I had with Dimitri were so strong that it physically hurt. Our only choice to get those side effects under control was to let ourselves have one night together alone each month. We still hadn't bonded for a long time and I hoped we would get the chance to do that again soon.

Shifting my mind back to the present, I found Lissa coming up behind me and placing her hands on my upper arms as she looked at me in the mirror. She had curled my hair beautifully and I had decided to leave it down, just the way Dimitri liked it. "You look stunning, Rose. Dimitri's going to melt."

I tilted my head and sighed. "This dress looked way better on me when I was slimmer..."

"Oh, shut up. There's nothing wrong with having a little bit of extra curve. It makes you look hot."

"You don't think my boobs look fake?" I asked. "It looks like I'm carrying rice backs on my chest." My breasts had already been big before, but being pregnant made them huge. Some of my old shirts didn't even fit me anymore, so I mostly just wore Dimitri's shirts around the house.

Lissa walked around me, blocking my view from the mirror. "You were pregnant. You're supposed to gain some weight."

"Yeah, that's true," I admitted. I was tempted to slip into Dimitri's head, but I knew I couldn't see him until I walked down the aisle. He was as nervous and excited as I was.

The sound of my mom's high heels walking across the floor made me turn around. She was dressed in a purple cocktail dress that hugged her figure perfectly and her hair was tied into a low ponytail with some curls falling in front of her face. "Where's the flower basket?" she asked in a hurry.

"I think Nevaeh had it earlier," I said. When she saw me wearing my dress, she gasped and put her hands up to her mouth. I saw a faint glimmer of a tear in her eye as she approached me.

"You're so beautiful!" she exclaimed. "My goodness, you grew up so fast."

"Too fast," Abe chimed in, playing with one of his sleeves. "You really do look beautiful."

"Thanks, Dad. You don't look too bad yourself." Abe nodded and skimmed his eyes over Mom's outfit and I saw a certain look in his eyes that I had never seen before. She had the same look and my heart fluttered.

"I should go sit," she said, clearing her throat to break the tension. She carefully reached into the stroller where Noah was sleeping and gathered him into her arms. Our wedding was indoors since it was too cold outside, but I still made sure Noah was dressed in a thick onesie with a blue hat on his head. I kissed his cheek and he stirred slightly but didn't wake up.

"Come on guys! It's time!" Lissa called. I took a deep breath and waited behind the door, slipping my hand through Abe's. Nevaeh stepped out of the room, holding a basket in her hands that contained flower petals for her to lay across the aisle. She wore a white dress and had a flower headband in her hair along with the diamond hair clip that Tatiana had gotten her for her birthday. She looked like a little angel and I could feel Dimitri's spark of enthusiasm when she walked down the aisle.

"Are you ready?" Abe asked me. For the first time in his life, he sounded nervous.

"I think the real question is, are you ready?"

Abe tightened his arm around me. "Just remember, Kiz, you'll always be my little girl. Regardless of our past, please remember that."

I smiled and nodded, trying to suppress my overwhelming emotions. Abe was truly a dad now and I loved him as much as Nevaeh loved Dimitri. I wanted us to be happy with the little family we had and the first thing I had done was let go of any ups and downs we used to have.

As soon as we stepped out, everyone's eyes landed on me. I saw my closest friends, my mother, Nevaeh, and a few of Dimitri's family members that had flown in for the occasion. But I wasn't focussing on them. All I could focus on was Dimitri. He was absolutely breathtaking. I had seen him in a suit before, but I had never seen him in a tuxedo. I had expected him to put his hair into a tight ponytail liked he usually did with formal events, but instead, he had left his hair out just like me—although it was obvious someone had done something to it to make it look radiant and slightly wavy. He looked so good.

As Abe walked me down the aisle, Dimitri looked just as shocked as me. Admiration and happiness flowed through the bond as he gazed at me like I was the most beautiful person in the whole room.

"Roza, you're—" He choked on his words, opening his mouth in wonderment. He was so invested that his eyes changed colour right in front of me. "You're so beautiful."

"So are you," I breathed. I swallowed, realizing my eyes had changed colour too. Our gazes were locked the whole time while we said our vows, constantly exchanging signals and feelings of pure devotion through our minds. And when we finally said the words I do, Dimitri's lips came down on mine, sealing our very first kiss as husband and wife.

A few weeks after our wedding, it was already Christmas time. I knew Nevaeh had barely gotten any sleep the day before due to her overbearing excitement, but what I didn't expect was for her to barge into our room first thing in the morning. She was never an early riser and I usually had to drag her out of bed, but her excitement was booming through the roof.

"Merry Christmas!" she yelled.

I groaned and rolled around towards Dimitri's side who was sleeping on his stomach with his head buried in the pillows. Noah hadn't cried during the day and we were able to get a decent sleep for once. Well, until Nev came in.

"Did you have to wake us up?" I asked her as she jumped on the bed. She giggled and climbed on the bed, squeezing herself between me and Dimitri.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" she said, ramming her fists over his back. I heard him make a noise of annoyance through the pillows and laughed.

"Come on, not first thing in the morning," he complained.

"How about we go bake cookies before the guests come over?" I suggested. "Let Daddy sleep. He's a little extra tired this morning. I just need to change Noah first."

"Sure thing," she said, bugging Dimitri again. I walked into the nursery and smiled when I saw Noah flailing his limbs around, gasping excitedly as I picked him up.

"Good morning," I whispered with a happy smile on my face. I kissed his chubby cheek and spent the next few minutes changing his diaper and his clothes. When he was dressed in a warm white onesie, I took him into our bedroom and put him right beside Dimitri while Nevaeh quickly scooted off.

"I hope you don't mind the company," I said cheekily. Dimitri smiled.

"Not at all. I'll be down soon," he promised, leaning up to give me a soft kiss. I let him spend the morning with our son while Nevaeh helped me with the cookies downstairs, making an assortment of hearts and stars. I put the tray of cookies in and cleaned up the counter as Dimitri walked in, holding a cranky Noah in his arms.

"My baby boy is hungry," I cooed, taking him into my arms and sitting down at the table. I pulled down my shirt and let him feed on my breast, and his cries died down again. I had gotten used to feeding him at random times of the night and I loved the happy feeling I got whenever I held him in my arms. His resemblance to Dimitri was mesmerizing. If someone showed me a picture of Noah and told me it was Dimitri as a baby, I would believe them.

There was a knock at the door and Dimitri went to the front. Our friends were here and they had a load of goodies and presents. Their loud greetings startled Noah, and I remembered he also had enhanced hearing. He started wailing and I bounced him in my arms as my parents walked in.

"Can everyone please keep your voices down? Loud noise irritates his ears," I told them. They were trying to be discreet, but I had caught them holding hands just a second ago.

"Right, sorry. Mind if I hold him?" Mom asked. I nodded and carefully handed him over, placing a pacifier in his mouth to soothe him.

"Hey little guy," Abe murmured, shaking Noah's tiny hand.

"Dad, I know you don't celebrate but you better eat my daughter's Christmas cookies."

Abe laughed and patted my shoulder. "It doesn't matter to me, Kiz. I'm just glad we're here."

I smiled and turned around, nearly bumping into Eddie. He pulled me into a tight hug and swept me off the ground, making me squeal. "Haven't seen you in a few weeks. Did you and Dimitri go at it during your honeymoon?"

"Hey!" I slapped his chest. "Actually, we didn't have a honeymoon with the kids being here. We're thinking of doing something romantic next month if we can find the time."

"Ooh, can I join?" Adrian interrupted, slamming his hand on Eddie's shoulder and leaning his elbow on it.

"No, but you can certainly keep my Nevaeh company. She was talking about putting makeup on you and having a tea party."

"Sounds like fun," Adrian said with an amused look on his face. He sniffed the air and closed his eyes. "I smell cookies."

"They're baking in the oven," I told him. I checked on them to see how they looked before closing the oven again. Dimitri came up to me and pulled me into his side as we watched our family members engage in sweet, innocent conversations. The sound of their admiration for Noah, the excitement over being together again and my daughter's endless giggles made my heart clench in the best way possible. Everything was so calm and innocent, and for once I felt like we didn't have to worry about anything.

It was ironic how the happier moments in life felt so short. The next few hours went by quickly and after we were finished with dinner, some of us settled to watch Home Alone on our flatscreen. Lissa and Christian were cuddling on one side of the couch and my parents were sitting together as well, but what surprised me was how intimate they looked. Abe's arms were wrapped around Mom, gently stroking her body with his thumbs and occasionally kissing her head while she slept on his chest. I had never seen her look so peaceful, but she seemed to be a lot happier and carefree when she was with Abe.

"You've been staring for a while now," he whispered, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Believe it or not, she can be really cuddly when she's alone with me."

"I'm happy for you, Dad. I've been waiting for you guys to finally give in to each other."

"Yes, well, your mother's not the kind of person to give in so easily."

I chuckled. "I probably get that from her."

"No. You get that from both of us," he said. He didn't say anything else after that as he held my mom in his comfortable embrace. Although I was happy and relaxed right now, I felt like there was one more thing I needed to do tonight for closure. I wasn't sure how Dimitri would feel about it, but I was going to have to take him with me this time. We agreed to never lie to each other and I didn't intend to.

I left the room and quickly checked the living room where Eddie and Adrian were playing with Noah in his playpen. Babies really did turn everyone into a softie.

I found Dimitri with Nevaeh in the kitchen. He was holding her face, puffing out the small amount of baby fat in her cheeks while she held something behind her.

"Nevaeh," he said, trying to sound strict although I could sense his urge to laugh. "Did you eat all the cookies?"

"No..."

I let out a quiet laugh. Nevaeh's face looked very guilty, and the left-over crumbs and bits of chocolate around her mouth didn't help.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking back at me as he struggled to avoid laughing.

"Yes, Daddy, I'm sure." She moved her arms and showed him her hand, displaying one last heart-shaped cookie. "See? I kept this one for you."

Dimitri broke out of all seriousness and let out a carefree laugh, patting the top of her head. "You silly girl. Go play in the living room. I just need to talk to Mommy alone for a second."

"Okay," she said, skipping out of the kitchen.

"What's up?" he asked me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I tugged my lip between my teeth. I wasn't sure how to approach him about this.

"I was wondering if we could go for a walk," I said, avoiding eye contact. He tipped my chin up and looked into my eyes. His concern was clear in his voice.

"You're blocking me from your mind. What's going on?"

"I um...well, I wanted to say goodbye to someone." I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "Outside the wards."

Dimitri was surprised—and a little reluctant—but he understood what I was trying to say. He sighed and looked down at me with sympathy in his eyes. "I'll go with you."

I nodded, feeling some weight lift off my shoulders. Dimitri informed everyone that we needed to leave for a little while to feed. I trusted every person in this house with our kids, so I wasn't too worried when we stepped outside. Dimitri stopped me before I could walk any further and handed me my winter coat. Cold weather wasn't a huge issue for us, but it was freezing today and that became very obvious when my body involuntarily shivered. Instead of arguing, I put my coat on. Even at the academy before we were in a relationship, he always had a habit of making sure I was warm.

He held my hand and tightened his grip every time we walked on ice so that I wouldn't fall. We were quiet for the next few minutes, walking in a comfortable silence until I decided to speak.

"You're not mad, are you?"

"Why would I be mad?" he asked, perplexed by my question.

"Because I'm about to see someone you don't like."

Dimitri chuckled. "You're talking about Damian, right? Can you blame me for not liking him?"

"No," I admitted. "But he's a better person now. I've talked to him a few times this year. When we got into an argument at the safehouse, I talked to him then too. He warned me about the psi-hound and tried to keep me safe when Tasha raided the house."

Dimitri went quiet for a few seconds as he tried to process this information. I hadn't told him any of this before. "I know he warned you when Avery came to the academy, but I didn't know about any of that. He really cares about you."

"He told me he liked me right before he died," I confessed.

Dimitri tensed. "I had a feeling he did. Regardless, I'm not mad. I'm glad you told me. You didn't just go out on your own this time."

I let out a guilty laugh. "You would totally lend me a firm hand if I lied to you."

Dimitri stopped walking and stepped in front of me, causing me to nearly run into him. "Comrade, what are you—"

"Does it scare you?" he blurted out. I didn't know what he was talking about, so he explained himself. "When I spank you like that. Does it ever make you feel frightened? Or...resentful, even?"

Dimitri and I had talked about this before. Now that we had kids, we kept all of our dom/sub dynamics strictly in the bedroom. We still wanted to keep up with it. We had done some light bondage here and there along with some spanking if I needed to reconnect with him as a sub.

I let go of the wall in my head and opened up to let him read my thoughts. "Dimitri, you know how I feel about it. I want it as much as you do."

"I know. I just want to make sure that if you're ever uncomfortable, you can still tell me."

"I will if I need to, Dimitri. I promise." I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood up on my toes to kiss him. He cupped my cheeks, warming up my cold skin with his hands. When I pulled away, he was smiling again.

"Let's go," he said. "We're almost at the gates."

I nodded and we resumed the rest of our walk until we arrived. The guards let us go just past the wards and I leaned against a tree as I waited. Damian's figure popped up a few metres away, looking much more transparent now.

"Long time no see," he said, flashing me a funny grin.

"I can see him," Dimitri gasped. He sounded like he didn't believe his own words. "I don't understand. I've never been able to see someone's spirit."

"Of course you can see me," Damian said in an obvious tone. "You died once, which means you've crossed to our side."

I fidgeted around with my fingers and stepped forward. "I didn't just come here to say hi."

"I know," he said. "You came here to say goodbye."

I sighed. I didn't need to answer him, but I didn't need to. This was the longest I had ever seen a spirit stay on earth, but perhaps it was because Damian had trouble finding peace.

"It's a good thing you came now. I'm leaving soon," he whispered. There was a sad smile on his face, but he didn't sound upset. This was probably the last time I was ever going to see him.

"Congratulations, by the way. For your baby and your marriage," he said to us.

"Thank you," Dimitri spoke. "Not just for that, but for helping Rose too. You warned her when she was in danger."

Damian shrugged. "It's the most I could do on the other side. How's Nevaeh doing?"

"She's very happy," I ensured him. "We all are."

"Good. You deserve it all. I just wanted to make sure you were safe and now that you are, I don't have much time. It looks like it's time for me to go. Take care of yourselves."

I nodded and smiled at him. "We will. I hope you find peace, Damian."

"I have, Rose. I finally have," he replied, his voice now as soft as a feather. His eyes rested on mine for a few seconds, his expression turning into one of contentment—and then, just like that, he disappeared. At first, I didn't know how to react. My mind was blank. I was happy that Damian had found peace now, but I was also a little sad and empty.

"He's really gone now," I said out loud. Dimitri noticed my sudden swirl of emotions and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.

"I know, baby. At least you got to say goodbye," he murmured, stroking my hair with his fingers. I shut my eyes and hid my face as a small sob broke through my chest. Dimitri squeezed me tighter and did his best to soothe me through our bond, letting me cry quietly in his embrace.

A few hours after we returned to the house, our family members had gone back to their places. I had gotten everything out of my system when Dimitri had let me cry outside the wards, so I was feeling better now despite feeling a little needy for blood sharing. It was hard for us to find time to do that nowadays.

I heard a loud wail coming from the nursery upstairs and stopped what I was doing to check on Noah. I stopped halfway up the stairs when his cries suddenly stopped. That was strange. He usually didn't stop unless Dimitri or I calmed him down. I tip-toed until I was on the second floor and slowly headed to the nursery. The site before me almost had me in tears again.

Nevaeh had somehow climbed into Noah's crib and was sitting inside with her legs crossed. She held Noah in her arms, cradling him against her body while softly shushing him. She had a content smile on her face as she looked down at his squirming limbs.

Without startling her, I told Dimitri to come to quietly come to the nursery through our heads. There was a gust of wind behind me and I felt Dimitri's chest against my back.

"Comrade, look!" I whispered excitedly. Dimitri's eyes skimmed over the crib to see the two children behind the bars. He sighed and squeezed my upper arms, resting his chin on my head.

"If that isn't the purest thing I've ever seen, I don't know what is," he said. Noah was already sleeping again as Nevaeh slowly rocked him back and forth in her arms. I couldn't let her stay in there forever as she had to go to bed, but I didn't mind watching them for a bit.

"She has a really good bond with him," I said, making sure only Dimitri could hear me.

"That reminds me..." Dimitri tugged on my hand and pulled me aside. "It's been a while since we've bonded."

I nodded and agreed with him. "I think I need that. Let's let the kids sleep, and then we'll do it."

Unfortunately, we had to interrupt Nevaeh's moment with Noah, although we had given her plenty of time until she almost fell asleep with him. We couldn't have her sleeping in his crib for safety reasons, so we put her to bed. I stayed with Noah for a little longer too, stroking his chubby cheek with my finger while he slept on his back. Although he was sleeping in his own room, the nursery was right next to us and we were always able to sense if he needed something.

Dimitri and I walked into our room and got ourselves ready, stripping down until we were completely naked. I covered my stomach as my insecurities took over, but Dimitri pulled my hands away. "Don't do that."

"I have stretch marks," I groaned, feeling a little embarrassed and unsure of myself. Dimitri kneeled in front of me and I blushed as he kissed my stomach, peppering the marks with his lips.

"You carried a baby in here," he said as he stood back up. "Those marks are normal, and I love every single one of them. I still love your body the same way I did before. You're beautiful, Roza."

I smiled at his loving words and tried to accept that he still adored my body despite my insecurities. He sat on the edge of the bed and I straddled his legs, wrapping my arms around his neck. It was hard to avoid sex when our naked cores were touching and I wasn't sure if I wanted to wait until our monthly day off. Hell, if we could just keep quiet, we probably wouldn't even need that "day off" anymore to satisfy our uncontrollable sex drive. It made me feel a lot better.

"I need you," I panted. "You know...the kids are asleep. I don't think it's that risky."

Dimitri's hands snuck around my waist, rubbing my soft skin as his lips brushed against my neck. "We have to be very quiet. You took your pill, right?"

"Mhm," I mumbled. Dimitri slid his hands below my ass and cupped the cheeks, using them to guide my hips up. His tip grazed against my aching flesh and I used his shoulders as leverage. I lowered myself down on him, moaning in satisfaction as he filled me.

"I love you," he said, kissing my skin before getting his fangs ready. I closed my eyes as he grazed them teasingly, and I opened my mouth wider, letting my fangs come out as well. I found the perfect spot and kissed it lovingly first. His arms were now holding me as if his life depended on it and I felt my walls clench slightly around him in anticipation.

"I love you too," I whispered back, and together, we sank our fangs into each other's necks.

"How are you feeling?" Dimitri asked me about an hour after our bonding time. We had gone back downstairs to cuddle in the family room. He always recovered faster than me for some reason, so he spent a lot of time checking my neck and my body's state.

"Happy," I answered, listening to the soft Christmas music playing from the TV.

"I'm happy too," Dimitri said, kissing my hand. We sat there in comfortable silence, basking in the heat of the blankets around us until Dimitri stood up and held his hand out.

"What are you doing?" I asked, slipping my hand in his as he pulled me towards the middle of the room and grabbed my waist with his other hand.

Dimitri raised our linked hands and said, "Dancing with my wife."

I had never danced with Dimitri before, but I was more than willing to do so. My lips were starting to hurt from smiling so much tonight. Love was everywhere. It filled the house, our minds, our hearts and our conjoining soul.

While we swayed to the soft beat of the music, I thought about everything we had been through during the past few years. Something I learned about trauma was that it never really went away. You could move on and overcome your fears, but it was always there. I still had nightmares that I wished would go away. The best thing I could do was learn to cope and still live my life without letting it affect me. It was much easier said than done, but I wasn't alone.

A part of me might have been damaged forever, but Dimitri was always there. His arms comforted and protected me, helping me ground myself and find stability again. Whenever I had a panic attack or got scared, he held me until my cries stopped. If I was feeling paranoid, he made me feel safe. And any time he had a nightmare too, whether it be about me getting hurt or him getting shot again, I would hold his head in my arms until he'd fall asleep. Dimitri had been through a lot too and he deserved to be loved. That was something else I learned about trauma—it wasn't a competition. We had gone through different things, but they affected us nonetheless. I'd always be a victim and that was something I hated.

Dimitri let go of my hand and instead rested his arms around my waist. He looked deep into my eyes and spoke softly, but I could also hear the seriousness in his voice. "You're not just a victim, Roza. You're a survivor."

I closed the distance between us and laid my cheek on his shoulder as we continued to sway. Dimitri was right; I was a survivor. I wanted to look at the brighter side of things. I had a loving husband, two beautiful children, and a safe home to build happy memories. And as I watched the little snowstorm outside in the warm arms of my lover, I knew in that soothing moment of tranquillity that I wouldn't have it any other way.

There it is, folks! Thank you to everyone who has read, favourited, followed or reviewed this story. I'm so grateful for every single one of you. There is still one more bonus chapter after this one in Nevaeh's POV.

This story has had a mix of emotions and I just thought I'd say that although it involved sexual assault, I don't write that stuff because I'm twisted or messed up, but because it actually helps me get stuff off my chest that I don't talk about in person. I think keeping it all inside can be very damaging, but admitting it out loud can be just as hard. That's why fanfiction will always be my safe place.

On a side note, some other inspirations came from: Abduction of Eden, The Vampire Diaries, and Lucifer. I would love to hear any final thoughts you have. Thank you all and stay safe! :)