**Chapter 6**

We briefly saw my woman doctor at court and gave her the copied file for her records then Dimitri and I head over to HQ to talk to Hans. He suggests I take on some admin duty here till I feel ready to take on active duty again. He also told me again that I'm more valuable out in the field then behind a desk. He told us he send teams to the other remaining strigoi nests and we as guardians won victorious but there will always be lonely strigoi lurking about like our resent encounter. He read my report and the other three guardian's reports and found it astonishing that although I'm pregnant can still fight two rather strong strigoi and not even manage to get battered against a wall.

Hans was also impressed about strigoi that attacked Dimitri was in and Hans thinks since the queen's getting married in 6 months, Dimitri should form part of the royal guard. I was astonished that it came out of Hans's mouth. But held my tongue. Hans showed Dimitri to the tattoo artist and have to hold of on my new marks till after little Dimitri is born. By the ratio Dimitri and I are getting our marks we will be fully tattooed by the time we are forty. I'm still very proud of my man. We head back to our apartment.

'What do you think of what Hans said about me joining the royal guard?'

'I couldn't believe what he suggested but I'm all for it. You will probably still be Christian's guardian when they have separate duties to perform.'

'Yes, but we will be together all the time.'

'I really like the sound of that.'

'So do I. Now go rest up we're on duty in six hours.'

'Come hold me and rest with me.'

'Okay.' He said setting the alarm to go off. We fell asleep. Little junior keep waking us as he keep kicking Dimitri in the back.

Sitting in the monitoring room of Lissa's living quarters. I walked patrol the home every few hours to stretch my legs. On my last return Dimitri ordered us old fashion burgers and milkshakes for dinner on our vampire schedule. I frowned while I ate and Dimitri gave a look.

'What are you thinking about so hard?' He asked me.

'Our current school system.'

'What about it?'

'I was thinking about Lucas and Maisie. Although we have the best training all our lives and it included you guys simulation tests, but nothing really beats actual field training.'

'What do you mean?'

'Taking almost fully trained novice on a field trip.'

'What, to a facility call 'Strigoi-R-Us'. I don't know, Rose.'

'No, an actual field trip to really teach these novice how reality really works.'

'I still don't know. Don't you think it's very risky. Would you do it to our son?'

'Yes, when he is a few months from graduating.'

'Okay now I'm with you. So your idea is to take novice about to graduate on a real strigoi field trip.'

'That is correct, yes.' He thought long on this matter then finally spoke again.

'It might just work. It will prepare them all better for their trials.'

'And they will be fearless. Just look at me and Eddie what we saw with our first face to face encounter did for duties, we took it much more seriously than all the other novice class mates.'

'You may have a valid point there.' He said drinking his milkshake.

'Oomph!' I said holding my stomach.

'What is it?'

'Bad heartburn.' He dug in a bag and gave me something for my heartburn. I drank it and it helped immediately.

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome. Okay, coming back to point here. Do you think the parents will consent to this strigoi field trip?'

'I don't know. I know it's a gamble but in the long run it will make for better guardians.' He nodes his head. Say if you were about to graduate and gone on a field trip like this, do you think you would have been a better guardian at that age. Not that you aren't an excellent guardian god now.' He was in deep thought for about half and an hour then finally spoke.

'To be quite honest I think it would have. It would have changed quit a lot of things in my early years.'

'It would have?'

'Yes, especially my first kill.'

'Interesting.'

'You really think I'm a guardian god?' He half smiled looking from the monitor to me.

'Absolutely, ever since we met back in that street in Portland.'

'Yes, I remember. How far we've come since then.'

'Indeed. You know if I was at my full strength back then we might have gotten away again.'

'What happened that night any way?'

'Well just between you and me, at that point Lissa haven't had a feed in three days so I helped her out twice a week because she didn't want to use the humans we were living with and that night you decided to come after us, just after her feed and left me a bit weak.'

'However it may seem, I'm glad it happened the way it did.'

'You do?'

'Yes, if that didn't happen we wouldn't be sitting here right now.'

'True-true, well in that case thanks to some blood loss.' I said and made him chuckle. We focus on our duties. I patrolled the large apartment again. Looking out all the windows as I move from room to room. Okay her place is kind of huge. My back started to hurt. Now walking with both my hands on my hips supporting my back as I continue my walk. I finish my patrol then went back to the monitoring room. For the next three months constantly monitoring Lissa and Christian safe with only an hour sleep whenever you can manage it. Dimitri constantly fighting with me to get more rest. I just brushed it off and continue my duties.

My Wedding

Here I stand in my apartment fully dressed in my wedding dress. My veil in my hair and it hung over my face. Staring at myself in the mirror, eight months pregnant and my mom, Olean finally met and instantly found a liking in each other. They are fussing around me. I caught a glimpse of Abe in the mirror and turn to face him. Walking over to him. He took my hand and kissed it.

'So old man what do you think?'

'I think you look breath taking-ly beautiful. Dimitri is a very lucky man. How is my grandson doing?'

'Behaving for now.'

'Good. You ready?' Abe asked me holding his arm for me.

'Yes.' Mia and Lissa who insisted on being my brides maids and maid of honor handed me my bouquet, and we all head out to a small chapel here at court. Getting out to the chapel. We stood in front of the door the woman pulling my dress straight behind me. The chapel doors open and the music start to play. Lissa and Mia walk out first then finally Abe and I slowly made our way down the aisle. Me keeping my focus only on Dimitri's happy face smiling from ear to ear. Abe gave me away and Dimitri and I walked the last distance to the front where the priest were waiting for us. The priest began and went on and on. Finally getting to our vows.

We stuck to the traditional ones the priest make you say that way you don't have to stress out about them so much and can't miss place them 10 minutes before the actual wedding starts. We exchange vows, rings. Mine is very plain white gold with a single real diamond in the middle shaped in a square cut and Dimitri's is a pure platinum wedding band. We seal our vows with a deep and wonderful kiss. Our guests cheered and I saw Janine Hathaway and Olean crying. Abe comfort my mother it was real touching. They do fit well together. Dimitri took my hand and lead me down the few steps from the pulpit and to a small table were we signed the wedding registry, while our guest head out to the reception just next door.

Our photographer snapped away at anything he could click away at. After signing the wedding registry with our parents, we set out to take some really great photo's outside. I had to sit down an hour into our photo session. Dimitri never leaving my side, being concerned as ever. Rubbing my tummy where little Dimitri was hurting me. We continue our photo session then proceed to where our guests were waiting. Again our guests cheered as we entered and of course we open the dance floor. Dimitri is a really great dancer so it makes it look very easy to follow. After our dance we head to our table, and all the festivities started.

Mom and Olean had done an splendid job nailing all the little things of St Petersburg in the theme throughout the whole reception. Everyone were talking about it. The food was just as great. Sonya, Dimitri's sister made him, his favorite bread and even thought me how to bake it. Abe wanted to send us on honeymoon but we couldn't even if we wanted to, with our duties to Lissa and Christian. We did put in a request for a bigger living quarters and it was granted a very large 3 bedroom townhouse, very close to Lissa's place. Dimitri got his royal guard post and he accepted it. I'm becoming to like Hans a little more and more. After our reception we head to our new home. Dimitri carried me and our baby over threshold of the our home.

'Welcome home Mrs Belikov.' He said after a kiss.

'Thank you and welcome home to you too Mr Belikov.'

'Thank you.' He said sitting me down on our new couch. With both of us getting a really great salary now everything in our new house is all bought cash. So we have no dept what so ever. We are lucky this way.

'I like the sound of that.'

'The sound of what?'

'Being Mrs Belikov.'

'I like having you as my Mrs Belikov to.' He said pulling his bow tie from his neck. I put my veil on the coffee table and kicked off my shoes from my sore feet that shows now how swollen they are. Laying back on the couch, I almost fell asleep.

'Oh, no Mrs Belikov you don't go to sleep on me now, come lets go to bed.' Dimitri said helping me up and up the stairs to our new bedroom.

'You looked so beyond beautiful today in this dress.'

'Thank you, but you were very dashing yourself, sexy husband of mine.'

'I were?'

'Yes, nothing is sexier than a hunk, like yourself in a tux.' He smiled down at me as he helped me get out of my wedding dress. He lay my dress over the back of a chair and looked me over as he put his jacket and dress shirt also on the chair.

'See anything you like?'

'Yes, very much.' He said stepping closer to me. He put his hands on my belly then and kissed me. I gasp and held on to Dimitri's arm before I fell over. The baby's kicking and punching is getting stronger every week. It really hurts. Dimitri sat me down on our bed.

'Roza?' Roza, talk to me angel.'

'I will be okay this little rascal is getting stronger every week. When he kicks and punches me, it gets more and more painful.' I explained.

'Oh Roza. I'm so sorry.'

'It's okay. After all it's not your fault. Please don't look so sad.' I said cupping his face.

'I bet he is just going to be like his bad ass father, the only thing is he is already training in the womb.' It made us both laugh. Dimitri rubbed my belly and kissed it then gave me a kiss. Laying me down, I let him move his lips all over me as he undress the remainder of my bridal wear. I got to work on his pants as our mouths met. His pants and briefs drop to the floor as we move further back on the bed. We explore each other all over again enjoying our wedding night till we both fell asleep.

The next morning we were met for breakfast by my parents and Dimitri's mother and sisters with all their kids, at our new house. We all talked about what a great success the wedding was and how much the guests enjoyed everything. Abe and Dimitri are both adamant to go fishing sometime soon. Dad had his arm around mom's shoulders with a occasional kiss dad gave her on her temple, making her blush as she smiles at him. Oh what a joy to watch them so in love after all this time. Why can't they just get married and get it over with. Victoria pulled my attention to her.

'Rose, you know that time you first visited. I was so mean to you and I found out you were right and that you were just looking out for me, like Dimitri would have. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry I acted like a total bitch.'

'It's okay, I accept your apology.' She gave me a hug then took her seat again next to her mother.

'What was that all about?' Dimitri asked me in a whisper.

'I'll tell you later.'

'Okay.' Turns out Olean is enjoying her time here at court but can't wait to go back to Baia, Russia. Now that she's my mother-in-law we asked her to stay for the birth along with my parents. Dimitri's sisters and their kids are all flying back this afternoon. They all have to get back to their jobs that side of the world. Abe and Dimitri dropped the crowd off at the airport. Mom, Olean and I stayed behind at home, cleaning up. We were done in no time. I showed them the nursery and they were surprised to see it already so well stocked. Strollers, carriers, crib, nappies, baby bath and a whole lot more. Olean was surprised to find that we're going to name our baby Dimitri too.

'I think it's important to keep the name with the surname, it will keep Dimitri's legacy going forward into the next generation.'

'I think it's a great way to honor a great man who accomplish so much in his life so far.'

'Yes ma'am I agree.' I told her as we gave each other hugs.

'I have a question for the two of you.'

'What is it Rose?' Mom asked as we sat back down in the living room, down stairs.

'When you both were pregnant did the last few months or two become as painful when they kicked and punched?'

'No.' Mom said then continue. 'I just had a normal on no painful kicks.'

'The same here.' Olean admitted. Concern shadowed their faces.

'Why do you asked Rose?' Mom asked first again.

'It's getting worse every passing week. His kicks and punches. It really hurts. Not that I'm ever one to complain.'

'Have you told your doctor this.' Olean asked me, taking my hand in hers.

'Yes, she only says it's normal.' I said and he kicked me again. 'Here feel this.' I sat Olean's hand on his kick them mom's.

'That is strong.' Olean said with a shocked face.

'Some night poor Dimitri has to sleep on the couch because he keeps kicking Dimitri on his back all the time.'

'We can see why.'

'I feel so bad when he has to sleep on the couch.'

'Who has to sleep on the couch?' Abe asked walking in with Dimitri.

'They were talking about my temporary bed.' Dimitri answered then sat down next to me.

'Oh.' Abe said sitting down next to mom. Mom and Olean still looked so worried at me.

'So what are you lovely ladies been talking about while we were out.' Dimitri asked.

'About the unusual strength this baby has.' Mom said looking from us to Abe.

'It's unusual?'

'Yes neither you or Rose where this strong in the womb.' Olean explained to Dimitri.

'Really?'

'Yes, really.' Olean continues. Like one person all eyes turned to me. Feeling very self-conscious. I just stared at my hands on my lap.

'Rose you feeling any contraction pains?'

'No.'

'This is odd indeed.' Olean said.

'What am I carrying a monster around with me all this time?'

'No-not at all.' Mom reassured me. Dimitri's arms fold around me, then looked at the room all pissed off.

'Please stop upsetting her.' He said meeting our mothers eye to eye.

'We're sorry dear, we are just trying to understand.' My mother said, sitting forward in her chair. After that incident I went up stairs to lay down. I was so tired.

'Don't you worry little one mommy and daddy loves you very much and won't let anything happen to you.' Dimitri said speaking to my belly, as I lay on the bed. Fell asleep as Dimitri smoothed back my hair.