Author's note: I have decided this will be the final chapter. I have a few scenes for later in the lives of these characters that I will write as one shots at a later date. I am going to start working on National Novel Writing Month as well as storiesofthespawnofsydrian. You should check out the Tumblr and maybe look for DanielleCheri to add as a writing buddy on nanowrimo's site.

Thank you for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing. Let me know what you think of this ending.

Happy writing!

Chapter Thirteen

"Ivanna." Eddie whispered, smoothing a hand over her tiny bald head. "My Ivanna."

Jill smiled through her exhaustion. "You can hold her. She won't break."

He chuckled and took he baby from her arms. "So much trouble until now. And she's so tiny."

"Well, she was a week earlier than expected." She placed a hand on his thigh. "I want Adrian to meet her. And Misha and Josh. The boys need to meet their sister."

Eddie watched Jill as she yawned and moved down on the bed. "Maybe later. The boys are probably asleep. And Adrian doesn't need to be out in the sun. Sunset. Let this be us for a few more hours without them. Sydney can tell them everything until then." He touched Ivanna's tiny face. "Our sweet little girl. Mine." He kissed her and then looked over to his lover.

Jill was snoring softly, curled on her side, one hand still rested on her stomach as it had in all the months of her pregnancy. This was the second of their children. The first had miscarried after two months. It had killed Jill and she had been so reluctant to try again for a while.

They celebrated Misha's first birthday, making Jill want the baby even more and she decided it was time to try again not long after. She was delighted the second time. But she was extremely cautious, even when she made it past the third month. The fourth. The seventh. And then she was born, a week earlier than her calculations. It worried her when the labor pains began, but Sydney had assured her it would be fine and stayed with her the entire time.

Eddie sat up with his new daughter on his chest until she started crying for her mother to feed her. Jill jumped instinctively at the cry and held out her arms. He placed the infant in her arms and kissed her temple as she began to feed Ivanna.

"You've sat there the whole time?" Jill asked.

Eddie nodded and stood. He stretched. "Sydney was right. I love Misha. I never thought I would love a child as much as him. But I do. The instant I saw her, I loved her."

Jill smiled at him. "I'm glad. And how do you feel for Joshua? Is it the same?"

"I love Joshua. But not quite the same."

His lover nodded and yawned. She stood with much effort and put Ivanna to rest in her basinet. "I suppose she won't stay there long with you about." She disappeared behind the privy door.

Eddie smiled at her back and scooted down in the bed, exhaustion taking over. He was startled awake when Jill retuned to the bed and pressed her back into his chest, pulling his arm around her. He kissed the back of her head and then dozed off once more.

"Baby." Misha said, leaning over his new sister.

"Ivanna." His mother said. "Can you say that?"

He worked his mouth for a while, but the words never came out. He toddled over to Josh who was sitting and playing across the room. "Joshua, baby." He ran back to his sister.

"It's going to be awfully confusing for them." Sydney pointed out. "That Josh and Ivanna are his siblings, but not each other's siblings."

Adrian chuckled and looked up from his drawing. "But they're all smart, so they'll catch on easily." He grabbed up Misha as he walked by and kissed his face noisily. "I love you, my boy."

"Daddy." Josh got up off the floor and made his way on shaky legs to Adrian.

"Someone's jealous." Eddie said, lifting Ivanna off the floor.

"No, Eddie!" Misha exclaimed and ran over to him.

"Talk about jealous." Adrian said as he held Josh close.

Eddie scooped the older boy up and sat him on his knee. "What's wrong with me holding your sister? Does it make you sad?"

He nodded.

"Why does it make you sad?"

"My Eddie." He said, resting his head on the man's chest.

"But I'm her daddy. It doesn't mean I love you any less." He kissed the top of the boy's head. "Look at your sister. Isn't she a pretty baby?"

"Pretty baby." He agreed.

Jill lifted Ivanna out of his arms. "Time to eat." She leaned down and kissed Misha's head. "I love you, Misha."

He smiled up at her. "Mama."

"Yes, my boy?"

"My Mama."

"Yes, Mikhail. Yours." She smoothed a hand over his hair and then left the room.

He watched her retreat. "Mama go?"

Eddie kissed his forehead. "To feed your sister."

"Iva?"

He laughed. "Yes, Iva. I like that."

Adrian turned his sketch around. "What do you think?"

Sydney took it from him and examined it. "All three. Perfect." She showed her son. "What do you think, Josh?"

"Misha!" He pointed to his brother.

"And this one is you, Josh. And that one is Ivanna, Misha's new sister."

"Sister!" He exclaimed.

"Not yours, though."

"Sister." He said again, determined.

"Misha is your brother and Ivanna is his sister, but Ivanna isn't your sister." Sydney explained.

"Sister." He said again.

She laughed. "I'm trying to explain this to a one-year-old child."

"Thirteen months, my love." Adrian said with a happy grin.

"Thirteen months. But not for a couple more weeks."

"We never got to the party because of Jill's confinement." Eddie said. "He deserves one as big as Misha's."

"He'll have it." Sydney kissed him. "Cake and favors and all your favorite foods."

"And more presents." Adrian added. "Everything he could ever want."

Misha scrambled off Eddie's lap and hurried over to Sydney and Josh. "Joshua, play!" he demanded.

His brother scrambled off Sydney's lap and toddled after Misha to the toys nearby.

"I love how he says that." Adrian patted Sydney's leg. "With the little lilt at the end. It almost sounds like a question."

They watched the boys play. Josh walked over to his parents a few times to touch them and reassure himself that they were there. He smiled at Eddie each time as if to say, "These are my parents, but you're important, too." Then he returned to his brother to play some more.

Jill returned. She held a note in her hand. "Adrian, we've been invited to dinner with the Smithsons next week."

"Accept it." He said without hesitation.

"But Ivanna…"

"I'll stay close." Sydney assured her. "And she has Charlotte."

"I trust you both, Sydney." Jill said, taking a seat beside Eddie. "But I don't know if I'm ready to leave the house."

"You still have a week." Adrian said. "If you change your mind, you can send a cancellation."

She nodded and moved across the room to the small desk to write the reply.

"This brings something new to discuss." Sydney said, watching Eddie with his new daughter.

Jill looked over her shoulder at the tone. "What is it?"

"Our children. I'm sure everyone suspects the true nature of how we all live out here, but we need to keep up appearances somehow, don't we?"

"What are you suggesting, Sydney?" Eddie asked.

"Legally, Adrian and Jill are married. Eddie, you are a bodyguard of some sort to their eyes. And I'm an old family friend who was given a home of her own on the grounds. I'm sure anyone watching sees me with Joshua. We all come and go to both houses. It would be improper for a mistress to live so openly on her lover's grounds."

"You think we should let them believe you and I are something?" Eddie asked, catching on.

She nodded. "To keep a good reputation in the town. They know Jill was recently in confinement. Adrian should claim Ivanna as his in public. And you claim Joshua should anyone ask. Thankfully, they both have enough of their mother's looks they can ignore the inconsistencies."

"So any other child Jill and I have would be claimed by Adrian?" Eddie asked, his guardian mask falling into place.

"And any other child Adrian and I have would be claimed by you. But only in public. The children would know the truth and so would all of us. And so would Court."

"I don't like it." Adrian said. "Josh is mine."

Jill looked at him a moment. She must have been lost in his churning thoughts. She blinked several times. "I think it's smart. We don't ever have to say anything unless anyone asks. We can bring them around together. We'd never separate them."

Adrian looked between the three. His eyes stopped on Sydney. "I love you, but I don't think I can do that." He got up and left the room.

"Daddy?" Josh called after him.

Misha stood and ran after Adrian. "Daddy, me!" He yelled.

Adrian kept walking.

Jill grabbed Misha and looked in his eyes. "Let Daddy have a moment. He's upset. I'll talk to him in a few minutes."

"Is he okay?" Sydney asked.

She looked into his mind a moment. "He will be. He's gone so long in the light. When the darkness returns, it's hard." She closed her eyes. "He's going to the beach." She sat Misha down beside Eddie. "Mama will be back soon." She kissed his head and then kissed Ivanna's forehead.

"Don't tire yourself." Eddie said.

"I won't." She assured him, touching his face.

Jill found Adrian throwing rocks into the water. She watched him a while. He knew she was there; she felt him sense her. There was a shift in his body language. She called up her magic. It was hard to do with the darkness churning through the bond. But she did it anyway and she made the water spit the rock back out at his feet.

He picked it up and smiled over his shoulder at her. He threw it back in. And she once again made the water return it to him. They repeated this a few more times until she saw his shoulders relax. He sat down on the ground heavily.

Jill sat beside him. "You know she's right."

"I do know she's right. But Josh is mine, not Ivanna." He dug a hole in the dirt.

"Does it matter that much to you?" She asked softly. "I love Josh. I love him like I love mine. They are all my children, even if I only gave birth to two of them. I fell that Sydney's sentiments are the same. And we know the truth. Our children will all know the truth."

"I want the world to know of my children."

"They will." She touched his arm. "Your children will do great things."

"Do you want me to stop spending so much time with Sydney?"

"Definitely not." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "Stop this, now. You're fine. We all are."

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I love you, my dear friend."

"And I love you."

"It feels like it should all be getting better, but it's not." Adrian admitted in a desperate whisper.

"Look at me." She grabbed his chin and turned his face sharply. "Come back."

"My children are the only bright spot in my life anymore." His voice was thick.

"No one is trying to take them away."

"But we have to lie."

"That's something we have all known from the beginning. Sydney was the first to say it aloud. Come back to me, Adrian. Don't give into the darkness."

He stared steadily into her eyes for several breaths and then closed his eyes tightly. He clenched his jaw. He opened his eyes again and blinked a few times. He grabbed Jill's face and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

She stood. "Don't do that." She kicked off her shoes and stepped into the water.

"I apologize."

"You don't really love me, Adrian. Not like that. Those feelings are best left for Sydney."

"I know. But I still love you. You saved me as much as I saved you. And for that I will be eternally grateful."

She sighed. "When Ivanna is a few months older, we'll try for our second so that we'll be done with all that business. I hate thinking of the act with you again. I just want it all done so that Lissa and the others will be satisfied of the Dragomir line continuing."

"Many would be glad it was at an end."

"They would. But I don't wish to think of that. Lissa and I have had our differences, but I like knowing I'm not alone."

"I wish I had siblings."

"I'm sure you have many dhampir siblings."

He gave a derisive laugh. "I'm sure you're right. Do you think you and Lissa have any?"

"I don't think so. Our father made sure I was provided for. I think he would have done that for a dhampir child, too. But we have no evidence of that." She turned. "You're better. Your sons were worried. Let's get you back."

"Are you angry with me, too?" Sydney asked when she couldn't stand Eddie's silence any longer.

"No. But it will be difficult." He trailed a finger down Ivanna's cheek. "I want to stop everyone in the street and make them look at my sweet little girl." His mouth drooped. "Josh was never baptized. And Ivanna will need to be christened as well."

"A lot was going on this year." Sydney admitted. "We'll have them baptized together. We can bring the priest in here so that we can do it in a private ceremony with just us. It will help keep up our ruse."

He nodded. "So that I may be her Daddy by our records."

"Of course. We need to get a family registry for our odd little group. All names will be recorded for us. And which child belongs by blood to whom."

Misha climbed up on Sydney's lap and rested his head on her shoulder.

"But they all belong to all of us." She kissed the boy's forehead. "I think it's time for you boys to eat something and then have a nap."

"Daddy." Misha said forlornly, looking out the door. "Where Daddy?"

"He'll be back shortly." Eddie assured him. "With your Mama." He stood. "Who wants to come with me to put Ivanna to bed?"

"Me go!" Misha scrambled off Sydney's lap.

"Josh?" Eddie asked.

The younger boy looked to his mother a moment. She nodded and he smiled his jagged smile at her. "Ed." He squealed and ran out of the room ahead of him. He started climbing the stairs slowly.

Sydney watched as Misha took his hand and helped his younger brother up the stairs. Eddie walked slowly behind them, eyes watchful as ever so that none of them tripped. His hold of Ivanna was far more protective than when they had been sitting together.

Once they were out of sight, she started tidying up the room. Adrian and Jill walked up to the door laughing and holding onto each other. Sydney watched them as they used each other to stand, their laughter cutting her like a knife over and over. She tried not to be jealous, but she couldn't help it.

They came through the door, a little better composed, but still giggling. Adrian pulled Sydney into his arms and kissed her hard on the mouth. "You're amazing! And you're so intelligent. And I love you, Sydney Sage."

"I love you, too." She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him kiss her once more.

"Daddy!" Misha called from the stairs, breaking into their moment.

Adrian stepped away from Sydney and smiled up at his sons on the landing. "Hello, my boys."

"Daddy." Joshua smiled and started down the steps slowly. "Daddy DaddyDaddyDaddy." He said it the whole way down.

Adrian watched proudly as his son made his slow progress. "Good job, Joshua." He scooped the boy up at the bottom and pressed his nose into his blonde hair. "I love you so much. And I don't mind letting Eddie borrow you in public. You'll always be my son."

"I need to lie down for a while." Jill said, stepping toward the stairs.

Eddie hurriedly met her at the bottom and took hold of her arm. He helped her up. She whispered, "I'll check on you in a while."

She nodded and pressed a kiss to his cheek. She put her hand over his heart a moment and then walked away.

He smiled and watched until she was behind her bedroom door. He walked down the stairs to where Sydney and Adrian were still talking with the boys. "Start planning the party. I need to make a check of the perimeter. I'll help in any way I can. Don't forget to tell Adrian your idea about the baptisms."

"Eddie?" Adrian called.

He turned. "Yes?"

"Thank you for keeping us all safe."

"I'm just doing my job." He said kindly.

"Of course." Adrian patted his shoulder. "Start planning a party for Ivanna's presentation in your head. We'll go all out for her, too. On a separate date. She'll be honored and everyone will know how much we all love her."

Eddie nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Adrian."

"Any time." He turned to the boys as Eddie walked out the door. "Who's hungry?"

"Misha!" the older boy exclaimed.

"Food?" Joshua asked.

Adrian picked up Misha and kissed his face. "Misha is hungry?"

"Misha hungry." His son said with a nod.

Josh tugged on his father's trousers. "Daddy?"

Sydney picked him up. "Why not Mama?"

"Mama." He said happily, putting his head on her shoulder.

"Food and then bed for a bit of a nap, yes?" Sydney said, carrying her son down the hall to the dining room.

"Yes. And then party planning!" Adrian said enthusiastically.

End