Chapter ten
Walking down the distant hallway, shadows creped where no one stood. Child in arms, I made a promise and I intended on keeping it. Figures glanced occasionally in my direction, as I rustled down the corridors in an attempt to discover the whereabouts of my husband. Setting my mind, I headed for what looked like the a huge fridge. Only it wasn't. Check one on my lists to do, get some blood for Dimitri and Ben, I know they'd need. Especially for the amount of time they've been locked up in here ever since their last feeding. Watching Catherine, I put a memo of taking Catherine to the feeders later, if they had any here.
Finding a discarded bag, I stuffed the sack with the leaky good stuff as Catherine eyed me with envy. Giving her a look of be patient for now, I hauled the bag onto my back and settled Catherine into my arms once more. As we headed towards the prison cells in this joint. Ugh, this was going to take forever. Not only were there cells for Strigoi, but for Moroi and Dhampirs as well. This was going to take some time on finding Dimitri's room, that is until a familiar face came into context. Normally, I would have avoided this face, but there came a time when anything was possible.
"Where is he?" I asked impolitely. Walking up to him, I wanted answers and I wanted them now. I didn't care if I was being impatient; I've waited for Dimitri long enough.
"Don't know who you're talking about Rose." Ryan replied in his usual asshole tone of voice.
"You know who, where's Dimitri?" I growled. Catherine stirred in my arms becoming restless with the whereabouts of her father. Finally Ryan faced towards my direction eyeing me and finally for the first time he saw the child that was in my arms.
"Who's this?" He said, finally acknowledging my daughter, seeming surprised to see her appearance.
"Oh, why this is Catherine, Dimitri's daughter." I said in a sickly sweet voice."Yeah she really misses her father so if you'd be so kind as to point him out then…."
"Second floor, right wing, cell two." He said still stunned by the information I had just given him about Catherine's Strigoi father.
"Oh well thanks Ryan." I said, surprised on how easily it was to make him caved over to the fact of Dimitri's location. If only life were this easy, if only.
Following Ryan's directions I easily managed to find the right location of where Dimitri and Ben where being held prisoner. Setting the bag of blood onto the floor, I opened the door to reveal the exact two people who I had intended to find. Shutting the door behind me and retrieving the bag of blood. I sat both Catherine and the bag onto the floor and ran over to where Dimitri sat, with his head in his hands. Ben stared into my direction not really focusing on anything in particular. I know he's never handled tight spaces well, but now he looks as if he were close to insanity by this point.
Rounding off to Dimitri I crossed the line of where the wards were set (In these sort of prisons they used wards to keep the Strigoi trapped, instead of out for protection), and looked down at where he sat. He didn't even look up at me as I neared him. No matter, grabbing his attention, I threw my whole body at him, caressing his into a desire filled hug. Hugging me back, he set me down next to him as Catherine came and hugged him as well settling on top of his lap.
"What are you doing here?" He questioned.
"We came to bust you out." He seemed to be shocked with to my plan, but took my hand into his.
"I can't." He told me.
"Dimitri what do you mean you can't, don't you know what will happen if you stay here? You can't, I won't let you." I pleaded remembering my proper wording with Catherine in excellent earshot.
"Rose… I'm sick of being a Strigoi monster. Whatever happens, happens and if it means staying here then..." he carried off, not able to finish for bother mine and Catherine's sake.
"So that's it, you've already given up?" I remarked.
"Rose?" He pleaded.
"It's okay I understand." I lied to him smoothly, in reality I didn't. Breaking out would be so easy. I mean they were being guarded my wards, which are ineffective towards these guys. I started trembling under my own grasp. Reluctantly, Catherine jumped off of Dimitri lap and walked over to the opposite wall. She always knew when the best moments were to leave.
Noticing my uneasiness Dimitri moved closer to me, holding me into his arms while I sobbed into him. I didn't mean for it to get this out of hand, actually I kind of expected this sort of answer from Dimitri, I had just not prepared myself on the after math of his response. After my sobbing finally receded Dimitri still never did let go of me. Nope, he only coaxed me whispering into my ear of his weird exotic language, that I still did not understand.
"We'll get through this Roza, I want you to be strong, for Catherine." He told me.
"For Catherine." I whispered back. Yes, my baby needed me. If something… horrible happened to one of us, the other needs to help her get by with the… with the… loss.
"Rose." Ben called from his own personal corner.
"Hmm." I waited for his response, even if my words were being mumbled for having my face planted into Dimitri's bad ass chest.
"Where's Mary, please tell me she's alright?" Unwillingly, I ripped my head from Dimitri's body, glancing over at Ben, as he stared back at me patiently waiting for the update in the news of his wife.
"Mary's fine." I said with a sincere smile plastered onto my face. "She misses you though." Informing him of our little conversation we shared not too long ago. Even close to losing his mind he still appeared as if he would have been in tears. The same look Mary had on her face a few hours before from what is now. I know Ben was going to follow Dimitri's lead by staying in this hellhole, he wouldn't desert Dimitri like that. No he would stay here and… die for what he believed in what was right. They're both very stubborn when they wanted to be. A self flaw that each of them shared with the other.
However, I could not tell Mary, anything. No matter what she wanted to know and how much wanted to learn the truth, I could not tell her. It'd break her little heart if she really knew of what Ben had planned for himself. I know Mary would go mad if anything would happen to Ben. She didn't have a Catherine or any children to distract her from the fact loss. Even though, it's still going to be difficult in any form, even for me. Losing Dimitri, it's already happened once and now it was going to happen again. Only this time it would be permanent. This time I didn't stand a prayer of Dimitri returning from the dead, this time he'd be gone for good.
Feeling something small and soft touch my leg I turned my head and looked down at me little girl that stood by my side. Pulling her up into my arms, I kissed her forehead as she then studied me. Raising a small hand she dotted a small spot on my cheek of where a tear still lingered from before. Whoops I guess I forgot I had forgotten that I had been crying. I don't think Catherine has ever seen me at this state before. Fabulous, freak out my little fourteen month year old even more.
"Mommy please don't cry." She told me. Dimitri smiled beside me, as she gazed us at her father. Finally she turned back to me, analyzing the situation that had come before us. Sometimes she can be even too smart, even for her own good. "Mommy what's going to happen to daddy?" She asked. As I looked to Dimitri for any sort of help to her query, he only shrugged leaving the mess up of Catherine's question up to me. Taking her head, I pressed into my chest holding her against as I rocked her gently in my arms.
"Nothing Catie, nothing is going to happen to daddy." I lied, like I was going to tell her the truth. I mean I did before, but this was different, now the only truth I could tell her of would all lead into one direction, Dimitri's death.
"Then why are you lying?" She whined to me. Dimitri and I both shared a moment of shock and utter astonishment with the other.
"Catherine how..." I started to say.
"I'm special mommy." She brusquely told me the same saying I've been telling her since the day she was born."Now what's going to happen to daddy?" She repeated the same question as from before. Crap I was sitting with a child who I couldn't lie to, fantastic. So instead of blurting out with the full truth, I just skimmed around it like earlier today.
"Daddy." I started to say, sighing as to not wanting the inevitable to occur but plunged right into it instead."Daddy's not going to be with us much longer." I told her to the best of my abilities, and to the best in which she could understand.
"Why?" She asked as she toyed with a piece of my hair, not really taken to the fact that I just told her that her father was going to die.
"Because, the people here don't understand daddy and Ben like we do, remember?" Not letting any emotion touch my voice. I had to be strong, for Catherine.
"Why don't you fight back?" Ugh, what do I tell her? Damn it.
"Because sometimes fighting is not always the best answer." She quieted down after that, from what I believed to that she was finally understanding the real answer I was trying to give her all along. She understood. She understood that in the end her father's not going to make it out of here alive. Then a few minutes remotely after she started to cry in my arms, demanding for her father's touch. Meeting her requests I handed Catherine to Dimitri as they shared one of the few moments they would have together with the other.
It felt like hours in which we were there, sitting together as a family. However, Catherine eventually fell asleep in Dimitri's arms and he only held her closer, stroking her beautiful hair that was indeed the same color and texture as mine. Whispers transferred between us as we discussed of our next motives, or at least for me and Catherine. Finally accepting to the fact of me returning to my guardian duties, and to eventually have Catherine be shipped off to the academy in Montana. Of course, I wasn't too keen on the idea either, but finally I gave in seeing how academic life would probably be best for Catherine in her future years.
Ben also interrupted us, occasionally bringing himself into our quiet conversation. But basically he stayed quiet in his own little universe, probably day dreaming about Mary, I knew that's what he'd be doing anyway, I mean I'd be doing the same thing if Dimitri and I were ever separated like so.
"I brought you something." I told him remembering the blood bag on the opposite wall. Walking over I grabbed it and dragged it over to him. He smiled at it, as he kissed me and thanked me for my kind gesture. I knew he'd be starving in these conditions here. That was one of the many tortures the guardians put the Strigoi through to get the information they needed. Driving their victims and prisoners of blood. Hiding it into a corner, completely out of sight, a guardian just then ventured into the room as the bag was stowed away. Apparently this guardian was making the usual rounds or something to the cells.
"Hey." Called to me."What the hell are you doing here?" I seriously wondered what he thought. An un-legal guardian sitting next to a Strigoi with a child in his arms. Yeah a classical Hallmark moment right here." I think it's time for you to go." He spoke ushering me away. Almost seeming scared of Dimitri's closeness to me..
"Really?" I relied sarcastically. "I was thinking the same exact think about you."
"Miss." He began to beg.
"I'm married." I informed him.
"Oh." He implored, I guess finally making the connection between the three of us here. Straightening up, he backed away towards the door without another word, leaving us to be by ourselves, for now. He or they would be back, they always come back.
" You know you're going to get yourself into some serious trouble." Dimitri told me.
"You're my husband; I'm not going to deny it." I modestly said to him.
"Maybe you should." He murmured.
"Then where would I possible say I got Catherine from, the stork" I could keep going all day with arguing with him and he knew this too, but sooner or later he gave into my stubbornness, setting Catherine aside on the mattress. Once she was comfortable he set my hand into his.
"Fine." He said to me."If you want to declare us a married couple, then I think we should at least start acting like one." If he was going where I think he was going with this, then I had no complaints about it.
Passionately we started to kiss each other. Fitting together like two of pieces of a whole, we belonged together. Lips locking, I thought of the world being on fire and I have never noticed the same. Moving closer to him I knew my limit with Catherine here was short, but it was so difficult to ignore temptation so close. It was obvious Dimitri felt the same way, but however, this was enough for now. Gently our lips slowly began to recede from the other and heavy and light breathing swelled the air around us.
"You make decisions so hard to follow through with Roza." Dimitri said to me in the infinite night that surrounded us.
"How's that?" I asked playfully going along with whatever train of thought he was on. He couldn't help but smile at me.
"It's just you, yourself Roza, although I've already made my choice of what I'm going to do here, but you… you make it so hard to keep that decision open."
"I'm sorry." I murmured in an apologetic manner.
"Don't be." He whispered to me, returning to the full attention of my lips. This time it lasted longer and much more excellent then the last kissing session we just went through.
"Okay can you please just stop, or get a room for that matter, your making me sick." Ben interrupted us after awhile. I didn't blame his though. He's probably already effected enough by the torture of being seperated from Mary. Much less watching Dimitri and me have yet another moment with the other.
"Sorry Ben." I apologized to him amazed to feel of my cheeks heat up from embarrassment. I had completely forgotten of Ben's presence in the room. Dimitri seemed not to mind as much as I did; instead he kissed both of my cheeks. Instantly causing them to cool down due to his frigid skin.
Suddenly, the door to the room swung open, just as Dimitri's lips parted from my face. Someone gasped to the sight as they were seeing from the opposite side of the door.
"Rose!" Oh shit it had to be her.
"Hi mom." I un- profoundly greeted her with an awkward wave.
"Rose, how could you? I didn't… I didn't want to… to believe… believe it… but, it's true." She rambled on.
"Mom when I told you I was married to Dimitri, what did you seriously expect?" Dimitri shot me a look of surprise, but meanwhile I ignored him paying full attention only to my mother as she stood in the doorway.
"I just."
"Didn't believe me." I finished for her, un-amused with her already starting an argument with me. Ah the good ole' days. Clutching my hand to Dimitris more closer, I waited for my mother to respond. Hoping Dimitri could give me some strength through our unavoidable fight.
"Rose." My mother told me in a cold, superior voice." I order for you to get away from him, now." She talked to me as if I were a little child. Hello I'm nineteen, I think I can make my own choices. Thank you very much.
"No mom." I said without any inflection within my voice.
"Rose he's dangerous, now get away from him!" She scolded me for disobeying her.
"He's not dangerous, how many times do I have to tell you this." I pleaded to her. I just wanted her to understand. To grasp the subject that Dimitri was on the same team as we both were.
"Rose he's a Strigoi, god what did they do to you?"
"Mom they didn't do anything to me!" I cried out to her. I wanted her accept this, but she just wouldn't. Dimitri sat beside me, silently watching the argument commence between me and my mother.
"That's bullshit Rosemarie!"She said stating my full name, just like when I was child throwing a temper tantrum. "Just look at you."
"What am I suppose to see?" I rebuked.
"Rose you have 'till the count of five." .God she was being serious.
"I'm not a child!" I said informality and timidly.
"Well you sure are acting like one."Every time we have some sort of conversation. they all end the same way. My childhood and her parenting skills.
"How would you know, you were never there for me, all my life. How would you even know what a child is like anyway?"
"I know one when I see one Rose."
"Like hell mom." I was getting furious now. Already I was standing from my once sitting position on the bed. Both Ben and Dimitri were watching with bulging eyes as the fight continued.
"Hah, I know more then what you'd believe me to know." My mom stated moving closer into the room.
"Is that so?" Soft stirring was heard from behind me. Both of our heads cocked into the direction or where it came from. Acknowledging the noise I walked over to it."Oh great mom you didn't." I said blaming her for the waking my daughter.
"Did what?" She asked confused of which direction I was taking our disagreement into.
"Mommy?" A small voice pierced the room as I rounded the bed and picked up the small girl, placing her into my arms. Returning to my original position before being interrupted innocently by Catherine. My mother only stood there, dumbstruck by the appearance of my daughter. However, ever Catherine paid no attention to her grandmother, instead she watched me, keeping her full focus on me.
"Mommy don't be mad." She instructed me. Trying to straighten out the lines on my forehead, which formed whenever I got the least bit upset.
"I'll try." I informed her. She smiled at me, the least bit glad that I would attempt to comply with her requests. Returning to the existence of my mother, who I wished would just go away.
"Who's this?" Catherine asked following my gaze.
"A guardian." I said. Technically it was the truth.
"Why were you fighting with her?" Catherine asked confused, remembering my past information I had given her.
"Well let's just say that this guardian and I have some… issues." Major issues. She only nodded seeming to comprehend on what I was telling her.
"Oh she's not happy with you either." Catherine prominently told me, as she stared into my mother's main direction
"Is that so?" I said to her turning to my mother.
"Rose." My mother responded still stunned.
Okay yeah I know I ended on a major cliffy, but not to worry, hopefully the next chapter will be up tomorrow. That's another thing, I'm swarmed with school, homework and the musical at my school. So if you bare with me, I'll try to keep up with my daily updating, but there may be a day where it will take up to two to three days just to update a chapter with my lack of time. Thank you to all who are loyal to my story I love your reviews and I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible.