**Chapter 9**

In my passed out state I heard a lot of scuffling. When I heard Christian's voice; 'Who is that over there? It looks like a guard.' Two pairs of unfamiliar feet approached me. They turned me over to see my face.

'It's Rose!' One yelled at the others. More feet approached me.

'Oh god no!' Dimitri and Lissa cried out together.

'By the way this pillar took a hit she must have taken a very heavy blow.' One of our colleagues said.

'Rose! Rose! Wake up.' Lissa said, she touched me not to heal me, more to feel to find out what's wrong with me.

'Oh, gosh. No! No! No!' She cried.

'What?' Dimitri asked her.

'She's…' She looked up at Christian then to Junior.

'What? Lissa please I need to know.' Dimitri said very desperate.

'She's completely paralyzed from her neck down and has a sever crack skull hence all the blood in her hair. I could hear Dimitri break down completely. Can't blame him if he were lying her I would have cracked to. Lissa did not release her hold on my once she accessed my injuries and can now feel her wield her magic on me. I was screaming no, but because I was out cold no one could hear me of course.

I'm so angry at her I could spit. I finally faded into the waiting darkness as unconsciousness took a firm grip on me. Opening my sleep filled eyes in a hospital room. Sleepy eyes all around the room. Junior sleeping in Dimitri's arms. I looked at my hands and moved my fingers and I could and so to my toes, arms and legs. If I get my hands on Lissa I want to first yell at her so hard and long then afterward I would thank her of course. Eddie saw me first. Dimitri's head shot up, where he was staring at the floor.

'Hey so nice to see everyone. What's going on? Why am I in hospital?'

'You don't remember?' And I really didn't, no joke. I shook my head.

'What do you remember?' Dimitri asked me.

'We questioned that strigoi in the alley and we sprinted back to Lissa and Christian. We fought in the basement and after that I don't remember anything else after that.'

'We found you in the dark of the basement unconscious and completely paralyzed.' Dimitri informed me.

'What?'

'Lissa being Lissa healed you completely but your head injuries were quite extensive. That is why you are in hospital.' He continues.

'Where is Lissa? I have to get to her.' I said sliding out of bed. My feet hitting the cold vinyl floor of my hospital room. My legs so unstable under me. Eddie and Dimitri caught me with arms full of Junior.

'You can't the queen is recovering in the royal wing of the hospital.'

'What, it almost killed her?'

'Honey please.' Dimitri pleased with me. I sank to the floor in my room in tears.

'Why didn't you stop her. I told you all of you over and over again if you saw her healing anyone, to stop her immediately. Using magic has it's dangerous results.'

'We didn't know she was using her magic till it was too late.' Eddie explained. Dimitri confirmed. Hans witness it to. I burst out crying on the floor again. Dimitri hand Junior to me mother, I only notice was in the room now.

'Roza please, she just tried to help.' He pulled me from the floor and lay me back down on my bed.

'Yeah but at what cost?' I said looking at him as tears for my best friend ran down my face.

'We will figure it out, how to help her.' My mother said holding Junior in her arms. I shrugged and sigh heavily. Remembering briefly her trails of become queen. Her fear of losing me. That is probably why she did it.

'I'm very grateful but not happy about this.' Dimitri came to sit beside me on my bed, holding me in his loving arms.

'What day is this?'

'Monday.'

'I've been out for a couple of hours?'

'No, Roza. You've been out of it for 7 days.' Dimitri informed me.

'Seven days?'

'Yes. Your brain was quite swollen and we all waited for the swelling to go down.'

'Swollen from what?'

'When our battle started you took a couple of very hard beating that couldn't be ignored.'

'I can vaguely remember something like that.' I said looking at the people in my room. Mom hand me Junior. It feels so nice holding my son again in my arms. Mom's phone rang.

'It's Abe, he phones twice a day to find out how you are doing.' Mom answers then left the room. I looked from Eddie, Marco and Hans.

'Thank you guys for being here it means a lot to me and us.'

'You're welcome.' Hans said.

'No if you excuse me I have duties and so does you boys.'

'Of course, sir.' The three of them left. Leaving Dimitri, me and Junior by ourselves.

'He has grown so much in a week.' I whispered looking at Junior in my arms.

'Yes, he has. The teacher at day care said he was missing you. He was very withdrawn from the other kids at day care the whole week.'

'Oh, my angel. I'm so sorry.' I said kissing his head. He woke-up and saw me. His little face light up like Christmas.

'Mama.' He said flinging his arms around my neck so tightly. Bring tears back to my eyes.

'Not so tight angel. Gentle- gently. That is it.' Dimitri engulfed us both in his arms.

'My family. I love you so very much.' He said kissing my hair. At that moment mom took a picture as she returned.

'Abe is very relieved your awake and doing well, and this is a pretty picture.' She said sending the picture to Abe and Dimitri's phone.

'Thank you mom. I'm so glad to see you.'

'I'm so glad to be here. I can't believe how big Junior has gotten, he is even taller than the other kids his age at the day care and far more developed educational wise.' Mom said.

'Really? The teacher never even mentioned that to me.' I said as Junior played on my lap.

'Well he got all his dad's good genes.' I said smiling up at Dimitri. He met my smile.

'And probably his mothers quick mind and heart.' Mom laughed, at us as she sat down. Junior fell asleep again in my arms. My mother is staying with us so she took Junior with her back home. Dimitri stayed with me.

'When Eddie found you in the dark, I felt my whole life drain from me and when Lissa told me of all you injuries I thought I was going to crack right then and there.'

'All will be okay.' I said cupping his face in my hands.

'Roza I can't lose you. You are my life support.'

'Hey, not even a strigoi can keep me from you. I will always be around and here for you. We were made for each other. I've told you this before.'

'I know but I love hearing you say it.' He said then lean in and gave me a wonderful kiss.

'I would like to go and see Lissa, please.'

'In the morning.'

'Okay.'

'Rest now, I'll look after you.' Dimitri said and I know he would.

Driving home from hospital. I saw Lissa, just before we left. She was okay, just tired. The doctor was signing her release papers so she was on her way home as well. Christian looked happy to get his wife home so she can get some proper rest. They were glad to see me well. Walking into our house, it felt so nice. Mom was busy in the kitchen when we walked in. Junior saw us and ran to us.

'Mommy! Daddy!' He yelled excited as he ran into my arms. Mom came out to see what's all the yelling about.

'You guys are home early.'

'We are?' I asked picking Junior up. He gave me a kiss on my cheek.

'Yes.' She said looking from me to Dimitri behind me.

'We can always leave if you like?' I said smiling at my mother. Dimitri chuckled behind me then folds Junior and me in his loving protective arms. Kissing my neck.

'Don't be silly. Come lunch is almost done.'

'Lunch?' I asked as Dimitri and I sit on the couch in the living room.

'Yes, come-come go relax and let us take care of you for a change.' My mother said and Dimitri got up and go and help her in the kitchen.

'Very well.' I played with Junior on the Carpet. Dimitri was playing with shapes and without any problem he fit all the shapes in all their right places. He had a book open he was drawing in and I wrote his name in it for him and I just wanted to see what he will do and with wobbly little fingers and zigzag here and there but he wrote his whole name. I wrote his name again this time with his surname and again he wrote it out. Dimitri walked in and he saw what we were doing.

'Look at this. I was just testing him and didn't think this would happen.' He leaned over and saw want I mend. The surprise on Dimitri's face was priceless, then that surprise turned to a full blown smile.

'Lunch is ready.' Mom yelled from the dining room. She walked in and also saw the master piece junior just wrote. The door bell rang and mom jumped to it too answer it.

'What's going on?'

'Abe's in town.'

'Oh, that's great. And?' He just shook his head at me and continued.

'And Abe finally asked your mother to marry him.'

'What? That is fantastic.'

'It's suppose to be a surprise for you. So please just act the part.' With a large smile on my face as Dimitri gave me a kiss.

'I will.' I said as mom walked in with dad behind her.

'Dad.' I said getting up and walked over to him.

'Oh, don't ever scare us like that again, please.' He said enveloping me in his arms and kissed my hair.

'Please tell her Abe. She doesn't listen to any of us anymore.' Dimitri said getting up to shake Abe's hand.

'Hey, I'm right here, and it's not like I had a choice to be thrown around like a rag doll.'

'True.' Mom said. 'Okay all the heavy talking is over now. Lunch is on the table and getting cold.' I picked Junior up and hand him to Abe.

'Grandpa.' I told little Dmitri.

'Grandpa.' Junior repeated.

'Yes, grandpa.' Abe gave Junior a kiss on his cheek. We all sat down, mom made some nice lamb and veggies, mash potatoes and some yummy gravy. Junior fed himself. Dad was astonished how quickly little Dimitri has grown.

'Rose, we have some great news to tell you.' Abe said taking mom's hand.

'I'm going to have a baby brother or sister?'

'No.' Mom said blushing. I tried to look really confused between the two of them.

'Honey mom and I, we are getting married.' Abe finally got out.

'What! That is fantastic.' I said running around the table to hug them both. I sat back down next to Dmitri.

'It is awesome news.' Mom can't stop smiling. We ate and talked happily. We cleaned up and retreated to the living room where we all talked some more. Apparently Dimitri invited Abe and my mom to stay with us while they'll be having a small wedding ceremony later tomorrow. I later phoned Christian to find out how Lissa was doing. He said she's doing great just very tired, ever since they got back from Leigh university.

'You say she's tired a lot since you guys came back from school?'

'Yes.'

'She need to visit with my woman doctor here at court. Her name is Dr Walnikov she is at the hospital. She might help her with her tiredness.'

'Thank you Rose. I'll phone her immediately.'

'You're welcome my friend. Please keep me updated.'

'I will. Talk to you soon.'

'Bye.' I hung up. I walked back to my party of people sitting in my living room. Later we all went to bed. I was busy giving Junior a bath when Dimitri took over from me. He even got junior in the bath and got him playing with his bath toys. I went back to our room passing up and down, worrying about my best friend. My husband saw me passing our room, when he walked in with only towel wrapped around his bottom half and Junior now also completely wrapped in a towel. Junior's night wear already laid out on our bed. I quickly got Junior dressed for bed and tucked him in while Dimitri got dressed for bed. With Junior now finally asleep, I went back to our room and continue my passing.

'What's going on?' Dimitiri asked watching me walk up and down.

'I'm worried about Lissa. She wielded so much spirit on me and what Christian just told me. I think she might be pregnant. This is not good at all.'

'I can see why you're worried about her, but you are not going to fix it right now so please go take a nice bath and come to bed.'

'Okay, I am kind of tired.' I took a nice shower, and then got dressed for bed. I lay down on Dimitri's chest while he held me. He was combing my hair with his fingers. It felt so nice and I drift off.