Rose Point of View:
Dimitri and I are arriving at a small dining room, lights out, the door's closed but I can feel him being tensed. I finally turn on the lights, and hear everyone yelling "SURPRISE". Except for my dad, he's standing there as if nothing is happening around him. I know what this is, something I didn't wanted. I can't even imagine the look on my face right now, a mix between amused because of Abe, and disappointment they organized a silly baby shower even though I always said I don't want one, I'm even perplexed my mother's standing there too. How the hell? Who else is here? As it turns out, almost all of my friends, Lissa, Christian, Adrian, sadly Eddie isn't here.. but hey I never thought my mom would be at my baby shower.
"Comrade? You knew? You know what I think of it." I sigh
"I do Roza, but I think it could be good for you. It won't be that bad, you'll see. Everyone's here for you and the baby. Mason's here too, you know it." He's right, but then again, Mason is always with me no matter where I am or what I'm doing. Not only because he's some kind of Guardian Angel now or ghost.
"Okay, I'll give it a try." I was lonely without them and now everyone according to Dimitri is here. My friends must really care even after all these months without contact? I squeeze his hand and enter the room.
Wow. This must have been a work by Lissa, she's good at planning. The dining table is standing now in a corner with presents on it, lots of presents. The chairs are surrounded in the room. everywhere are helium balloons standing in the room or flying, some are pink, some are silver and some are silver with pink strips. A garland on the wall with 'It's a girl', guess what, also pink and silver. Underneath is a canvas with pictures, I pass through the room without noticing anyone around me, it's like the canvas has magical powers and is pulling me towards, completely hypnotized.
These aren't normal pictures, these are sonograms. Simply too many for this pregnancy. I look at the date, then it hits me, these are from my mom when she was pregnant with me. She kept all of them. They are all lined up on the canvas, starting by the 7th week, when I found out I got knocked up by my hot mentor. Hers started at the 9th week. It always started with a picture of her sonogram, next to hers was my picture. Hers ends at 40th weeks, my birthday, it was even the day the doctor calculated. I assume I wasn't always late. Mine ends at 33t weeks. How could someone have one if this was taken today and I didn't even yet gave one to Dimitri? Watching my mother's last photograph, seeing the length and how heavy I was, how can someone push that out? I can't push a watermelon out. I turn away in panic from the canvas and walk away as fast as I can.
"Rose! Wait.." My best friend runs up on me, now she can easily catch me. Great. Damn this stupid Russian and his seeds.
"I can't do that. I changed my mind Liss." I look at her and speak normal but I'm still panicking.
"What? The Baby Shower? We don't have to. It's okay, we understand." Her voice low and I feel her mixed emotions, regret because it was clearly her idea for throwing a shower, concern not knowing what exactly my problem is right now..
"No. Pushing someone out. I changed my mind." I say "Did you saw the last sonogram of my mother? Someone else please do that for me. maybe Dimitri? He brought me in this whole mess" pointing at my belly.
"Rose? I think it's a little too late to change your mind. Don't you think so?" she hugs and whispers "You can do that. And no, it was the two of you, not only him.." I see a little smirk on one side of her mouth. She's right, shit.. there are always two to tango.
"Fuck.." I sigh "Hmm, funny that's what Dimitri and I did and now I'm in this damn situation.. Look how fat I am! How the hell does she fit through a little hole?"
"Finally you're coming with details. Carry on. Rose it will all work out perfectly, the woman's body is made for that." She laughs a bit and through our bond I can sense her saying 'You had Sex, naughty girl. Your Hair and your look. You've got that sex face, oh and adjust your cloths a little better..' I do as she says.
"Lissa!" To be honest, I know her sex life, got pulled in through the bond so many times. But she knows nothing about mine.. quid pro quo? "No Details yet, I'll tell you where and how many .. you know.. on my first time.."
She pulls me to the wall with a little bench to sit on, what we're doing, it's still very near of the dining hall, and I know I probably shouldn't tell her this here, but I'll keep my voice low.
"Okay, Shoot. I'm listening.. Carefully." Oh she's curious.
"Cabin.. The one Tasha lived in when she was here." I grin, thinking back off our first time. "And uhm.. 3 times."
"No way! 3 times?" And I thought she wouldn't raise her voice. "Probably the only good thing she did was clean the cabin and make it comfortable. Right?"
"Pssht! Keep your voice low. I came 3 times." I blush a little "Yes"
"3 times.. I heard they always said Dimitri's a god, you can definitely say if it's only rumor or not." she flushed, but really red. Like never before. Wow.. I never would have even guessed Lissa would say something like this.
"Hell yeah!" I grin and instantly without thinking about it I raise my voice in excitement to mark my statement "My man's a god."
"Come on back in, and finally greet your guests. And you haven't even seen everything." Lissa replies fully diplomatic "Details when you're in labor." I can only shake the head. We go back in and I take a deep breath. It's still a lot to take.
Christian rushes by my side with an unreadable gaze. What the hell did I do now?
"Everyone heard you both. Especially the God himself, he wanted to check on you. Oh and, Your God's Mom and Sister arrived while you were outside.. He was pretty ashamed because they heard it too." I fucked up, I embarrassed Dimitri, I embarrassed myself. But it wouldn't be the first time.
I go over to Dimitri who's still standing in the door, I guess waiting for me and squeeze his hand. I meet his gaze and nod lightly.
"You're okay?" I ask "I never wanted to embarrass you.. I'm really sorry.. I should greet them, you come with me?"
"I should ask you if you're okay." We're making our way together to his family, crazy, his mother and his sister are there but he was standing in the door because I walked out in panic, and wanted to check on me. "It's alright, but don't do that again in public. Honestly between us, it's also a compliment, don't you think so?"
"I'll be." I tell him honestly, it's hard to keep secrets around him, if not even impossible. "Definitely, Comrade."
"I'll be at your side, the whole time. You won't go through the last weeks of your pregnancy alone." I know I don't have to go through this alone that he's here, but he can't imagine my fear. And how should he? I'm not in labor yet, there are still 7 weeks left, but if she has my timing, then there are still 8 or 9 weeks left. Please have Dimitri's timing.. at least for this.
Dimitri's family is meeting us in the middle of the room. His Sister is around my age, this must be Viktoria. She has dark brown eyes and brown hair streaked with gold. His mother, Olena standing next to her daughter has also brown eyes, and maybe already in her 40th. Doesn't Viktoria has school?
"Mama!" Dimitri is first greeting her and hugs her tightly "Why didn't you tell me you're coming?"
Oh god, I'm so nervous.. What if they don't like me? I'm really so glad he's here standing beside me. Finally finding the words.
"Hi.. I'm Rose. But uh, you know that already.. It's nice to finally meet you." I give them my best smile, but I guess everyone can see how nervous I am. "Thank you so much for the gift you send." I can't help it and hug her. I'm shaking inside, "And also for the lovely note."
By the time I greet Olena Belikova, and said Thank you, Dimitri greeted already his little sister. I let go of his mother and instantly putting my hand on my stomach.
"Rose, it's so nice to meet you. I've been looking forward since Dimitri told me about you." she's smiling warmly, this kind that makes you comfortable and immediately feel welcome, where ever you are. "I'm sorry but I didn't send a gift with a note."
"Rose!" says Viktoria. "I finally meet you! And you're real! Dimka didn't made you up." hugging me tightly, too tightly.
"I'm very real.. And..." I cough a bit ".. very unconscious if you don't let go." She finally let go, I'm glad they reacted positively but this was too tight, there you see she's at St. Basil's.
"I'm Sorry.." she turns to Olena and back to me. "I know who send you the gift. It was Babushka. The note too."
Dimitri joins the conversation at last. "What present? And a note? What does it say?"
"Babushka? So Yeva? Grandma Belikova sent me that? Wow.. She put a lot of thoughts in it.." I chuckle to myself, now that I know that Yeva send both, it has a deeper meaning. Speaking of deeper meaning.. the note, as if you're already part of our family. Dimitri's grandmother is a witch, she saw it coming. He will propose someday, sooner or later..
"I didn't know anything about this. What did she send?" Olena asks with her really smooth Russian accent
"A music box stuffed elephant, wearing a blue overall, looking old and used but I immediately fell in love, that makes him so adorable and special." I smile happily. How can such a small gift make me so happy? Because it's coming from the heart. And from Yeva.
"Wait, Babushka sent you Phanti?" Dimitri's looking at me, raising a brow. I wish I could do that. "You really kept it."
"Phanti? You really named him!" I burst out in laughter. The big bad Strigoi Slayer had a stuffed Elephant named Phanti. "Okay, so why this name? I mean pretty boring name isn't it Comrade?"
"I didn't even know we kept him.." Viktoria answers "But yeah, a little unoriginal Dimka."
"Yeva did apparently. She dreamed of a flower and kept saying it has a meaning." Dimitri's mother's looking to me and to his son. Taking our hand in hers. "She was right. May I Rose?" Pointing to my belly. Yeva dreamed of a flower.. long ago.. she was right like always? He should wait with a proposal though. I wasn't even ready to be a mom so soon or ever, and yet here I am, pregnant with 18. Yikes..
"Oh, Yeah of course, you're going to be the grandmother." I say, taking Dimitri's hand in mine and squeeze it. I feel two palms on my stomach, adjusted just the right way. There it is, a hard kick against the hands. I already got used to this feeling when she kicks, but this time, it was unexpected. Our little sassy used to sleep the whole day and starts kicking when I'm going to bed. It's getting on my nerves, I even changed into human time for a few days just to get more sleep, guess she sensed it, didn't worked out either. Is that maybe now her way to say hello? Or only awake now, I don't have a clue. Why didn't I read this stupid book or did a little research in the internet? "I should probably greet the others, we'll talk later?"
"Oh wow, she's definitely from both of you." looking to me and Dimitri, I know what she means, but I think my Russian next to me doesn't when I look at his face. I grin a bit at him. "Of course my dear."
5 Minutes later I'm standing in front of my mother, and Old man next to me. Do I need a back up? I hug her as tight as I can, I didn't know I needed this until now.
"Mom, I'm sorry I ran out.. I freaked out when I saw your last sonogram, how big I was and how I should manage to push out a watermelon.." I confess, if someone would have told me earlier I would kind of confess these kind of feelings to my mom, I would have laughed out loud and told him if he's crazy. "It's amazing mom. You kept all your photographs, put them together with mine. Thank you so much."
"I'm surprised too Janine." Abe laughs and claps Janine on the shoulder. Looking back at me, "Don't worry Little Girl, you're not the first woman on earth who's going to labor and you definitely won't be the last. That's something I can't help you with." he smirks wickedly, I don't know him that well as I know Dimitri but I definitely can tell what he's thinking right now. I wouldn't be in this situation if I wouldn't have slept with my mentor in first place.
"As much as I hate to agree with your father on anything, he's right in this case." She rolls her eyes while looking at me. I know they're right, but that doesn't mean it's helping me.
"You both are not helping." I say holding back a small smirk, although it's not even funny. But what could I expect, it's Zmey and my mother.. "So, do you also have something to drink or only pink cupcakes, Doughnuts and Cake?"
"Actually we do. A friend of mine, called Jack Daniel's," I hear Adrian speaking behind me. "Oh, sorry Little Dhampir, you can't. How about water?"
"Adrian! How you're doing? Thanks for coming." I grin and hug him, I don't care what others around me are thinking of me hugging a royal Moroi, especially my mom since she thought I would throw myself at him back in December. "Don't you have other friends? Maybe not that dangerous?"
"I do, but.. she's at school right now," I laugh at his comment, if he would know it's not only right now. "Rose, you're dangerous too. It's risky to be around you."
"Come on, I'm not that bad. And besides, I barely saw you at Court. I worked 5-6 days a weeks." I look at him and smile a bit.
"You are. You took down one of the Strigoi, 2 weeks ago, with Stan."
That gets me surprised, how can he know? Guardians wouldn't tell Moroi about an Attack, especially Royal Moroi, the favorite great-nephew of Queen Tatiana, aka Queen Bitch. And I didn't told anyone except Dimitri about it. And he definitely wouldn't have told him. Maybe he heard it from other Guardians around here today? Or heaven forbid, he has also something to do with it.
"Adrian, how do you know?" I swallow, if he and Stan really are to blame, oh man, he could have get killed by only trying to sent them out. "I didn't told anybody about it."
"What?!" I totally forget my father's still standing next to me and didn't knew it... Until now I guess, seeing him furious is new to me. Looking to my mom, even she isn't pleased with the fact I threw myself in a dangerous situation. "Rose.. what were you thinking? I know you have the same character traits as I have, most of them. And I know what stunts you brought over the last 18 years, but this was too much, even for my taste."
"Again, I hate to agree with your father on anything Rosemarie, but he's right." Since when got Janine soft? Did she finally made peace with the fact she's going to be a grandma?
"Guys, Stan fought alone against one, it looked pretty bad. Nothing worked to call for back up. Then, a second Strigoi came, should I've let Stan get killed because I sat back and watched? No! I don't want a Guardian getting killed. Not even him. There are too much of us who are losing their life protecting Moroi, every day! No way I could've let that happen. So tell me Mom, what would you think of your daughter if I wouldn't have done something? You're the hardcore Guardian here, nothing else matters, right?! You would hate me even more." I answer them honestly and angrily, my first outburst since months. "Besides this was all planned by Stan, as it seems Adrian helped him, right?" I address the Royal Moroi.
"What are you talking about? Planned? How can it be planned?" Oh God, I thought Dimitri's with his family? Or was my outburst just too loud? He wasn't supposed to find out. May Stan's soul find peace. "Tell me."
"I don't know. I overheard a conversation between Alberta and Stan.. I also figured it out on my own that there was something odd, because this Strigoi didn't even really tried to attack me, and all the devices to call for back up didn't worked.. He hired them. Stan wanted to make me feel useful again after months sitting behind a desk." looking in the round, I'm surrounded by everyone now, all my guests are watching me like I would tell some fairy tales or at least starting. Right now, it doesn't matter what they think, because when I look in Dimitri's eyes I can tell he's believing me. "It felt amazing, the thrill, and I really was finally feeling useful for a moment. Because I thought I would rescue him by trying to take down the second Strigoi. When I faced him, I felt the rush, even a little bit of excitement to kill a Strigoi, yes I was scared too, but in that moment I remembered again why I love being a Guardian, because to be honest at Court I forgot about it. Sitting behind a desk is just not my thing, and it will never be."
"So, to understand correctly, you killed a Strigoi in your pregnancy? When? Wow! You're a goddess!" Exclaims Viktoria. I'm a goddess? I guess I'm a perfect match to her brother then.
"I'm no such thing. I had help.." And that is the truth, help from a very good friend, and other almost invisible known and unknown faces. Without them I probably would have failed. I don't know what Dimitri told them, or if he even told them about me being shadow-kissed. "2 Weeks ago, before arriving here."
'Goddess? With your school record definitely not. But you're lethal!' I hear Lissa through the bond. I meet her gaze and smirk at her comment. If his family doesn't know about the special bond I share with Lissa since the accident with her family, they may think now I'm a little insane, but hey, with a father like Abe, I need to be. After all, I guess that makes me Zmeyette.