"Just friends my ass"
Chapter 14
RPOV
It quickly became clear that we were not going to be running on our normal sleep schedule, so later that night (so midnight human schedule), after everything was set up, we were just sitting around a campfire. I had to give Pandora some credit, I may not like her too much, but she knows how to make one hell of a bonfire, and s'mores. For dinner we ate hot dogs, which we cooked over the fire, and I was currently sitting in Dimitri's lap with his arms around me. He was really laid back and I liked seeing him like this, I don't think I've ever seen him with his guard down. But tonight he had been laughing and actually talking (most of it was yelling in Russian between he and Pandora though), and I enjoyed seeing him enjoy himself.
"Okay, I'm done. I'm going to sleep and so help me god Ivan if you wake me up I will rip your fucking eyes out of your head". Pandora said, standing up and stretching.
"Oh yeah, where are you going to sleep, in a tree? News flash genius, we don't have all the tents set up." Ivan replied, not even looking over in her direction. Now that I really took a look around, I only saw two tents set up, and they were definitely not going to hold us all.
"Eh. Fuck you Ivan", Pandora replied, and I could have sworn I heard Adrian say to himself "I'll bet he'd like that", whatever that meant. "Just wake me up when they get here and I'll help you set the rest up okay?" She said.
"Wait, whose 'they'? Are more people coming?" Lissa asked.
"Yeah, they'll be here in like an hour or two", Ivan said. "Who?" She asked. "Ah, just some people from home." Pandora answered waving her hand as if to say forget it. It was then that I heard the snap of a twig and leaves crunching. I felt Dimitri tense and on instinct I put my hand on my stake, I saw Eddie do the same.
"Oh, nice to know where we stand on your list of friends. Although I suppose 'just some people' is a promotion", said a new voice. I looked ands saw a dhampir with long, smooth red hair and ivory skin.
"PANDA!" Screeched a small voice. Pandora turned around and had a wide grin on her face. She opened up her arms and a little girl ran right into them.
"Hey Lu, what are you still doing awake?" Pandora asked the little girl. She had on a light blue jacket and green pajama pants on and wispy platinum blonde hair in a small pony tale on top of her head. She couldn't have been more than three or four.
"Mommy said I see you", she replied. I looked around, and noticed Ivan was hugging the woman with the red hair. She was wearing a green sweatshirt and jeans with sneakers on.
"Hey, Ashley, good to see you" I heard him say to her.
"What, do I not get any love at all?" Said one last voice, I turned to look and saw a human with dark blonde hair under a red beanie cap and olive skin, wearing a blue vest with a black long sleeve shirt on under it. She had on black leggings and boots on and held a gloved hand on her swollen belly.
Pandora was still smiling when she put Lucy down after spinning her around a few times, and went to the woman. Her smile faltered though when her eyes landed on the woman's baby bump.
"Oh, ma…" She started,
"I don't want to hear it, I swear if I hear one more fucking word about this" she pointed to her swollen stomach, "then I'm going to kill someone." Pandora shrugged before giving the woman a hug, the little girl hanging off of her leg.
"It's good to see you honey." Said the woman. They hugged for a few more seconds, before the woman backed away. She looked around and saw everyone, and when her eyes landed on Sydney they widened before a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"Oh, lookie here, an alchemist. And here I thought this was going to be a waste of time, Sage, isn't it?" Said the woman, Sydney just stared at the woman, confusion shown in her eyes.
"Hey, be nice Sam", said the woman named Ashley.
"Um, mom this is Sydney, and her husband Adrian", said Pandora, she pointed at Jill "that's Jill, then there's Eddie". She continued to go around in a circle next introducing Lissa and Christian, skipping over I van who flipper her off, and in turn got smacked on the back of the head by Ashley, "and you know Dimitri and that's his girlfriend Rose", she said. Next she gestured towards the woman named Sam, "this is my mom, Sam, and her fiancée Ashley, and my sister Lucy", finished Pandora.
Lucy stretched her arms out towards Pandora and she picked the small girl up, who then laid her head in the crook of her neck and her eyes began to droop.
"Did you guys bring the extra tents?" asked Ivan.
"Yeah, they're in the back of the truck, let me go get them and then Dimitri can help me set them up", said Ashley.
"Here, let me help you", said Pandora.
"No, you stay here and watch over your mom, she's about ready to pop any day now, and I don't exactly trust Ivan to watch over my pregnant fiancée", she replied.
"Hey, you know I can watch over myself thank you", said Sam as Dimitri got up to follow Ashley.
"Sure you can", Ivan said.
"Ivan Zeklos, I will whip your scrawny ass into next week if you don't watch it", threatened Sam.
"Your pregnant ass ain't able to do any whippin'", said Pandora, her western accent becoming a bit more noticeable.
"You're gonna be first if you don't shut your-" she began, before wincing and putting a hand on her swollen belly.
"You okay?" asked Pandora worriedly.
"Yeah, this little stinker's almost as bad as you were when it comes to kicking", she replied.
Pandora helped her mother sit down, and I couldn't help but feel a bit jelous at how close they seemed to be.
Lucy, who was now asleep in Pandora's arms, was passed to her mother, the little girl only stirring slightly. Pandora kissed her forehead before sitting down next to her mother. The dog ran up to her side and jumped on her lap.
We sat there quietly for about twenty minutes before we heard Ashley yell that the tents were set up and we could all sleep now. I jumped up, more than ready for bed, and the rest soon followed. About twenty feet away from the campfire, on top of a small hill, stood six decent sized tents, each looking like they could hold about four or five people each.
"Okay, everyone's going to have one person to pair up with and you two will share a tent for the rest of the time we're here. I would recommend that you do not choose someone you fight with constantly because you can't switch once it's decided. That means Ivan and Pandora, if you two share a tent, then I better not hear any arguing at three in the morning." She gave the two a pointed look.
"Fine but I don't want to hear any moaning or screaming coming from your tent, last time I thought you were being mauled by a bear or something", Ivan replied. Pandora smacked Ivan on the back of the head. Dimitri just rolled his eyes at them.
"As a rule, Sam, Lucy and I share a tent, sop the rest of you pair up. Also, if you're worried about the safety of the moroi, don't be. We've set up wards so nothing can get in or out." Ashley continued.
"How'd you set up wards?" I asked.
"We set them up years ago and they are underground so that they can't be broken and they work kind of like an invisible fence", Pandora responded. "It's similar to what I've got set up around the apartments."
"Anyways, who'se pairing up with who? Once you decide, grab a sleeping bag from over there," she pointed to a pile of camping gear ,, "pick a tent, shut up and go to sleep", said Ashley.
Lissa and Christian immediately paired up, they got their sleeping bags and picked a tent and went inside. The next to decide was Adrian and Sydney, then Jill and Eddie. All that was left now was Dimitri, Pandora, Ivan and I.
"Hey Dimka, what'd ya say, wanna share a tent like we used to? It'll be like old times, minus the getting high and drinking all night.
"No, I think I'll stay with Roza." He looked at me and held his hand out. I grabbed it and we went to grab our sleeping bags, leaving Ivan there looking like a fish out of water.
"Dude, you just got replaced", said Pandora, smirking.
"You're just happy that you get to share a tent with me", he replied. She snorted in response.
"I'd rather share a tent with Tasha Ozera than I would with you."
"Ouch, that hurt." She just flipped him off in response.
"Hey, if you two don't cut it out then I'm gonna make you sleep outside" said Sam.
"Sounds good to me", said Pandora.
Dimitri and I got our sleeping bags went inside the tent. It was a lot bigger than it seemed on the outside, and Dimitri took off his duster, folding it up and placing it in the corner. I laid down on top of the sleeping bag and Dimitri soon followed, he placed the second sleeping bag over us and pulled me towards him, my head resting on his chest.
It wasn't long before I felt myself drifting off to sleep, the sound of Pandora and Ivan arguing in the distance was faint and Dimitri's heartbeat lulled me to sleep, where I dreamt of Dimitri playing with a young boy that was our son.