It felt weird going on a supervised shopping trip with four adult men, but it was easy to fall into guarding technique, except I needed to remember that I was the charge this time, not the Guardian.
While Ibrahim had an appalling sense of fashion for himself, he still had good taste. He had pointed things out here and there while I shopped, and I picked a few of them. I had some money with me, but when I pulled it out, Ibrahim all but batted my hand away, pulling a credit card from his pocket.
There was one store I walked into that I couldn't help but grin. Lissa used to go in and find the most ridiculous things she could find, but spotting all the Stich items, I felt like a child in a candy shop.
I found a onesie that I knew I had to buy. Dimitri would think it was funny and I couldn't wait to see the baby in it. It had Stitch drawn in red like Lilo drew, showing his badness level. I held it tight in my hand as I looked around the store. There were a lot of things I wanted, but I held back. I didn't want to go overboard.
"You haven't found much for yourself today," Pavel mentioned as I looked through the racks in another store.
"Honestly, I've seen a lot that I'd like to get, but I'm just not used to being able to just...buy whatever I want. I grew up not having money," I explained.
Pavel nodded. "Abe wants to spoil you. He isn't good with feeling words, but he wants to give you everything. If you want something, let him buy it," Pavel explained.
"It sounds like a bribe."
Pavel pressed his lips together and pointed at the bag that contained the onesie. "I was your father's Guardian when you were a child. You wouldn't believe the number of things he purchased before you were born. Your mother had to take his wallet from him every time they went out."
"So does that mean that you were the loyal 'Uncle Pavel'?"
Pavel grinned, making the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes more prominent. If he was around when I was a baby, he was much older than I thought he was.
"Oh yes. You and I spent many nights together. You were a very colic baby. And your parents were exhausted. When you couldn't sleep, I used to carry you around the house, tucking you in my arm like a football. But while you were colic, you were a happy girl. I was a very proud uncle," Pavel explained.
I smirked and took the pyjama set I was looking at off the shelf and gave him an amused look. I didn't want to go overboard, but I took Pavel's advice. And every time Ibrahim took his credit card out, he looked happier and happier each time.
There was something about his excitement that made me happy. I knew that this man was dangerous, but seeing a genuine smile of excitement on his face, I couldn't help but be happy. But I could also see where my smile came from.
"So, do you think that maybe I could have a phone?" I asked nonchalantly.
Pavel gave me a look not to push it, but Abe mused it over.
"And what would you use it for?"
"Well, if I have to stay here until you think it's safe, I'd like to be able to talk to my friends, and let Dimitri know that I'm okay," I said as I looked through some cosmetics. I picked up a few tubes of the lip gloss Dimitri bought me and then a new mascara. Lissa had said many times that this one was good, but I couldn't afford to buy it. If Ibrahim was going to cover my cost, I was going to get it.
"Your mother told him you were perfectly fine," Ibrahim said with a raised brow.
"And if it were Mom in my place, wouldn't you want that reassurance from her directly?" I asked and cocked my head to the side.
I could see that Pavel looked a little panicked, but I could also see that Ibrahim was trying to conceal the smirk on his face.
"You are so my child," Ibrahim said with a shake of his head, "Next stop. But, there are rules to it!"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. No porn and no plotting a way to escape your deemed protection," I smirked.
________________________
Having a cell phone again was nice. Hearing Dimitri's voice was better. I don't know how Ibrahim got it, but when I heard him pick up on the other side, I could have wept.
I felt a lot of anxiety leave once I heard Dimitri's voice. It took a few tries, but I was able to get a video chat up. He looked exhausted but he managed a smile for me. I was all too excited to see him and showed him the things I bought for our girl. He laughed with tears in his eyes looking at the onesie I bought, and he said that he caved and bought something when he was out with Lissa the other day.
It piqued my interest and I raised my brows at him. He set his phone down and I could hear him rummaging around before coming back, holding a fuzzy bear suit that wasn't a bear, but Stitch.
"No!" I exclaimed excitedly.
"I couldn't pass it up, I saw it and knew you would want it," Dimitri said. I bit my lip excitedly and clasped my hands together. I laid down and tucked my arm under my head.
"I miss you," I said quietly.
Dimitri sighed and matched my position. "I miss you, Roza," he whispered. I nodded and pressed my lips together, trying to keep my emotions together. I felt like I could burst into tears at any moment, and I didn't want to do that in front of Dimitri.
"Oh, Roza. Don't cry," Dimitri soothed. I nodded and rubbed at my face, sniffing to myself.
"Did my mom explain to you why Abe won't let me leave?" I asked.
"Abe?" Dimitri asked with a raised brow, "You aren't calling him 'the snake' anymore?"
I shrugged. "After spending the last few days with him, I know that he is only acting the way a father would. He's worried. I guess maybe extending an olive branch may work in my favour. Calling him Abe is also easier than his full name."
Dimitri nodded. "I can see that," he said after a moment.
"I'm hoping that maybe it means he'll let me see you," I added with a small smile. Dimitri smiled too but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Me too," Dimitri whispered. I could see that he himself was trying to keep his emotions in check. I couldn't blame him for being upset either. He was initially terrified when I went 'missing' and now he isn't able to see me or be near me. Not to mention, it wasn't just me he was away from.
"It's okay to be upset, comrade."
Dimitri nodded and his composure broke a little, his emotions showing clearly on his face. I shifted around on the bed and pulled up my shirt, running my hand soothingly over my skin.
"Want to see something kind of cool?"
Dimitri nodded and I angled the phone so it was towards my stomach. I wasn't sure if it was normal for my body to do this yet, but at this point, anything was possible. I tickled my fingers over my stomach where I could feel her moving and poking. I had learned that putting pressure on certain spots would make her push back.
I pressed down near my belly button and watched the skin move on its own when I pulled my fingers back. I could hear Dimitri's watery laugh on his side of the phone and I chuckled, pressing on another spot to make her do it again.
"She's going to have a mean kick," I chuckled and looked at the screen.
"God, I hope she doesn't inherit your kicking abilities," Dimitri said dryly.
"Why?" I laughed.
"Because then you'd complain all the time," Dimitri snickered. I rolled my eyes but was happy to see a real smile on his face. I chuckled and moved the phone back toward my face, smiling at him.
"It could be worse."
"How?"
"I could push out a fourteen-pound baby," I said dryly. Dimitri rolled his eyes at me. It was a concern I had had since the beginning.
"Roza, I only weighed something like eight pounds," Dimitri reassured. I raised my brows at him but he just rolled his eyes again.
"I don't want to hang up, but I'm so tired," I said quietly, stifling a yawn.
"Sleep, you need it," Dimitri soothed, "Rub that belly for me."
I hummed and did as he asked, caressing my stomach.
"She misses you too," I said.
Dimitri nodded and blew me a kiss, which made me beam and blush.
"I love you," I said as I rolled onto my side.
"I love you too. Both of you. Sleep well," he said tenderly.
________________________
I groaned quietly as Abe talked. He had to leave to deal with 'business'. I had hoped it meant that I'd get to go to Court while he was away, but I was sadly disappointed.
"So I'm on lockdown while you're gone," I grumbled.
Abe sighed and rubbed his hand over his jaw. "As long as Pavel accompanies you, you may go out. But Pavel decides if it is safe, not you. And the same rules as before apply. No Court, no high Moroi populations."
I raised my brows. "Pavel? But he's your Head Guardian."
"Exactly, there isn't anyone else I trust to keep you safe while I'm away," Abe said and gave Pavel a firm look. I looked at Pavel and shrugged.
"But I can't go see my friends?" I asked with a pout.
Abe sighed and frowned, running his hand over my hair in a surprisingly fatherly gesture.
"I haven't ruled out your friends yet. It's not safe," he said softly. I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed.
"You know, this isn't good for my psyche. It's not good for a pregnant woman to be isolated."
"You aren't isolated, kiz. You're just not at Court. Let me think about it, alright?"
I perked up a little and nodded. "Please!"
"Let me think about it," he reiterated, "I just want you to be safe. I don't know who I can trust inside Court."
"Well, can you at least let Guardian Croft know so that I'm not arrested when I return? It has been three weeks now."
"He's already aware of the situation, he's been briefed," Pavel butted in, but I narrowed my eyes at him.
I sighed and ran my hands through my hair and got up, walking towards the coffee pot and gripping the counter as I slid.
"Fedir?!"
There were quick footsteps, and I rolled my eyes as one of Abe's Guardians rushed into the kitchen.
"Yes, boss?"
"Since this one refuses to wear slippers, can you look into finding a product that will help with the slipperiness of the wood floor while I'm away? I don't need Rose falling and breaking something," Abe said with a pointed look in my direction. I shrugged and sipped my coffee while rubbing my fluffy socked feet together. My feet were always cold, and I couldn't stand wearing slippers.
So that meant I slid constantly on the floor.
I smirked at Fedir when he made a face at me when Abe wasn't looking. He was young, not as young as me, but maybe a few years older than Dimitri. He did some work in the human military for a few years before returning to private work as a Guardian. He was nice, to say the least, and always took the time to say hello to me in the mornings.
"I'm off with Kirkton. Please behave," Abe said with a sigh, raising a brow at me.
"You act as if I'm five."
"I wouldn't put much past you, Rosemarie. You're full of surprises," Abe said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and shrugged. I guess he took that as a ye because he picked up his briefcase and left.
The day was quiet without Abe in the house. The Guardians kept more to themselves because of his absence, and I was grateful that Pavel let me use the backyard. There was a beautiful pool out back and I spent a lot of time in it. Abe wasn't all for letting me work out with the Guardians, so I used the pool instead. I talked Fedir into spotting me while I did some weight training. He was up to it, carefully watching me and giving a few pointers.
Once I had my mini workout and had lunch, I was off exploring again. There wasn't a lot to do today, but there were parts of the house I hadn't found. That and without Abe home, I could slide around all I wanted. I was careful to be within hand's reach of something when I slide, mostly the wall, but I wasn't hulking it out down the hall, just small little spurts. I was coming close to the stairs and I stopped, treading carefully on the wood.
"Rose!"
"Yeah!"
"If I hear you sliding on the floor, I'm gonna shove my foot up your ass," Fedir called out. I rolled my eyes and poked my head into the room I heard his voice come from. Pavel and Fedir were both in what I called Abe's second office.
"My father will hear about this," I mocked but cracked into laughter at the end. On one of my restless nights, he introduced me to a Harry Potter film. And everyone here learned that I was quick to quote movies. Abe was also overhearing me quote Lilo and Stitch.
"Just wear the damn slippers until I can go out and get the new floor cleaner in the morning!" Fedir laughed. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the stairs but overshot my footing. I missed the top step and tumbled downwards. I tried to catch myself on the way down but only managed to do it when I got to the bottom of the stairs.
Pavel and Fedir both called after me, coming down the stairs. I lay at the bottom of the stairs in shock, not daring to move from my side. I took in short breaths, my hand fluttering to my stomach.
"Rose, does anything hurt?" Pavel asked urgently, coming around to crouch in front of me.
I grunted and shook my head. "I don't know," I whispered. Fedir lifted the back of my shirt so he could look at my back, prodding down my spine gently and then along my neck.
"We're going to carefully roll you onto your back," Fedir said when someone else came into the room. I couldn't remember the name of the two new Guardians, but I whimpered when Pavel and Fedir rolled me onto my back.
"I'm going to look at your stomach," Fedir whispered. I nodded marginally and closed my eyes. Fedir's hands were cold on my stomach, and I winced when he pressed on a few places.
"You'll be bruised for sure," he said and pulled my shirt back down. Pavel helped me sit up and I groaned as I got to my feet, feeling some pain in my hip and knees that took the brunt of my fall.
"You should get looked at by a doctor, we don't have the equipment here for that," Fedir said as he looked at Pavel.
"A human?" I asked.
"We can't risk taking you to a Moroi," he said. I nodded and rubbed my hand over my stomach, making quiet shushing noises to myself. The baby was squirming like crazy.
"Do we go now?" I asked quietly. Fedir looked at Pavel and gave a sharp jerk of his head. Pavel nodded and helped me to my feet, grimacing as I hissed as my knees protested. Pavel left me with Fedir to put some sweatpants on and then into the car. When Pavel met the two of us in the car he looked frazzled but gave me a tight smile before starting to drive.
I felt on edge as we drove. I knew that it was going to be at least a half-hour drive, but my hand kept rubbing over my stomach. Fedir sat beside me and cast worried glances my way every so often.
"How much longer?" I asked quietly.
"We're almost there," Pavel said softly. I nodded and sighed.
"I have to admit, I have a surprise for you."
I raised my brows at him. "Oh really?"
"Yes, you just can't tell Abe."
I rolled my eyes at him. "Okay?"
Pavel parked and we both got out. I grabbed my purse off the floor and put it onto my shoulder. I followed Pavel and Fedir out of the underground parking, wondering what exactly he could have done when I stopped dead in my tracks.
I looked at Pavel and he grinned at me. "Like I said. Don't tell your father. He'll cut my balls off."
I thrust my purse at him before taking off in a jog, holding my hand over my stomach. I didn't care how much my knees screamed at me.
"Dimitri!" I squealed.
Dimitri turned and his eyes landed on me, relief crossing his face. I crashed into him, wrapping my arms around his neck tightly while he lifted me into a bear hug, groaning quietly into my hair.
"Oh Roza," he whispered.
I sighed and pressed my face into his chest, breathing in the smell of him greedily. Three weeks was too long without seeing him.
"I missed you," I whimpered, lifting my head up long enough to kiss him. Dimitri had set me on my feet and his hands came up to cup my face, holding me close to him.
"You're alright?"
I nodded. "I have been treated like a Royal. I promise."
Dimitri looked me over and grinned at my choice of shirt, resting his hands on my stomach. I sighed and moved his hand to where I could feel movement, hoping that she would move hard enough that he'd feel it.
I knew the moment that he did. His face brightened and his eyes crinkled as he swallowed thickly.
"Hi baby," he whispered thickly, rubbing his hand gently.
I laughed quietly and smiled when he rested his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes and sighed in happiness.
"Thank you, Pavel," I said after a few moments, looking at him. He had looked away, giving us a private moment.
"No need," he said with a small smile, "Now, I think you are going to be late for your appointment."
I nodded and slipped my hand into Dimitri's, beaming up at him.
________________________
It didn't take long for us to move into a patient room. I half expected Pavel to take me to the ER, but he managed to find an all-hours gynecological clinic.
I fidgeted on the patient's bed but gripped Dimitri's hand in a death grip. I had given him countless kisses too while we waited, not able to really comprehend that he was here. I looked away from Dimitri when the nurse came in.
"My name is Sierra and I'll be the nurse doing your workup. What is the issue?"
"We're a ways away from our regular doctor, but I fell down the stairs pretty hard last night. I just want to make sure everything is okay," I said. Dimitri looked at me alarmed, but I gave him a soothing look.
"As I said, I just want to make sure," I soothed.
The nurse nodded and got ready to do an ultrasound. I lifted my shirt up and Dimitri's face pinched seeing the bruise that was starting to form. I patted his shoulder gently and winced when the nurse pressed the wand a little too hard against my stomach.
"Sorry. You are very tender here," she said as she turned to screen toward us.
"I don't see any issues. Have you felt a lot of movement?"
"After I fell she was moving a lot. She's a lot calmer now," I explained.
The nurse took some measurements and printed off a few pictures.
"I'd say that the little one is fine, you must have shielded your stomach more than you thought," the nurse said, "Twenty-seven weeks is a good time. I remember being there, it was my favourite part of my pregnancy."
"I love feeling her move," I whispered. Dimitri hummed quietly and put his hand on my stomach once the nurse wiped the gel off.
"Me too," Dimitri whispered. I looked up at him and smiled. He indulged me with a smile too and leaned over, pressing a kiss to my lips. The nurse gave me a reassuring smile and the doctor did the rest of the workup. He took a look at my hips and knees, confirming that my knees took the brunt of the fall. I could see through the small window that Pavel was pacing, biting the edge of his thumbnail.
"How exactly did we get in on such short notice?"
The doctor glanced at me as he snapped on a new pair of gloves. "Your father donated to the clinic. We are linked to a non-profit facility that offers emergent care to immigrants and low-income households. When your father's assistant called and said that his daughter had fallen and that we were the closest facility, I made sure I had time to see you."
"Hmm. I had no idea," I said quietly, "Do you know if my father does a lot of charity work? We've been estranged until recently."
The doctor palpated my stomach gently and then my hips, checking to make sure there was no damage.
"As far as I know, he does. He donates to a variety of charities. Most of them are for the less fortunate, but he does a lot. I think I remember him donating to the children's charity at the hospital here. It was a fundraiser to help kids get out-of-reach treatments."
I blinked and nodded along as he spoke. I was a little surprised, but I didn't exactly know Abe. He didn't strike me as a donator or a charity man. The rest of my appointment went by in a flash and we were allowed to leave with the urge for me to rest over the next few days. I was more than happy to comply with that. Dimitri held my hand tightly as we walked, but I was confused when we walked to a car parked across the street. Dimitri opened the back door and pulled out a duffle bag and then a smaller bag. It was his duffle bag.
"You brought a bag?" I asked.
"Pavel told me to. All he said was to bring an overnight bag and to meet him here. I didn't know you were going to be here. But I did bring something for you just in case I did see you or could pass it along with Pavel."
I turned to Pavel. "What is going on?"
"It's another 'don't tell Abe' surprise. I'm sneaking him in for the night," Pavel said. I grinned at him and leaned into Dimitri's side.
"You have no idea how much this means to me," I whispered. Pavel looked at the two of us sympathetically.
"I do know. You need to be around each other; this is an important part of your pregnancy."
I smiled at him and Fedir took Dimitri's keys from him, climbing into the front seat. I smiled up at Dimitri and led him back to our car, curling into his side the moment our seatbelts were on. Dimitri wrapped his arm around me and kissed my hair, resting his cheek on my head.
"How long is Abe away?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. He left last night. Maybe in a few days. What did you say to get out of Court?"
"I just took my personal time off. Lissa didn't question it," Dimitri explained quietly, keeping his arms wrapped tight around me.
"Mmm. Don't let go," I sighed as I tucked my face into his chest, taking a deep breath. Dimitri didn't respond but squeezed me gently, pressing another kiss to my head.
________________________
Sneaking Dimitri in wasn't exactly difficult, Pavel had all but threatened the other Guardians to keep their mouths shut and that he allowed Dimitri to be here for the night. We ate a light dinner before I excused myself to bed. Dimitri followed me up the stairs and set the bags on the bench in front of my bed.
"You said you brought me something?"
Dimitri smirked at me as he unzipped the smaller bag, plucked the small plushie from the bag and tossed it to me. I squealed quietly and brought it to my face, smelling the matted fur on the top.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Dimitri nodded and pulled out a change of clothing so that he could shower before bed.
"I brought some of your things from your room, some of your clothes. Though, I don't know if they will fit you anymore," Dimitri chuckled. I rolled my eyes playfully and went through the bag, smiling at how thoughtful he was.
"I really appreciate this, thank you, Dimitri," I whispered as I looked up at him. Dimitri nodded and kissed my forehead tenderly and then asked where he could shower. I pointed him to the connected bathroom and watched him walk into it, shutting the door softly behind him.
I changed for bed and picked up my phone, dialling a number I was starting to know by heart.
"Hi, wee one," Janine said quietly on the phone, "Did you like your surprise?"
"Were you in on it?"
"Of course I was. How do you think Dimitri got the time off approved so quickly?"
I smiled to myself and leaned against the window. "Thank you. But I do have a question that you might be the only one that can answer."
"Oh?"
"It's about Abe."
"Oh...What is it?"
"Before you two separated, were you guys happy?"
Janine sighed and I heard the squeak of her chair as she moved. "We were. I met him by accident and he...I don't know, was the complete opposite of me. He was funny and I really did love him. We were planning on getting married before I left. Why?"
"I was just curious. What was his upbringing like? I just found out that he donates a lot of money."
"He had a rough upbringing. His family was poor and they lost everything when they were robbed. Abe had a younger brother that died suddenly and his mother died in the hospital when he was sixteen. He's pretty guarded. I wouldn't be surprised if he donated to low-income families."
"Immigrant and low-income households. He donates to children's hospitals too," I said quietly.
"You're seeing the side of him that I hoped you would see. But don't forget that there is a side of him that shouldn't be trifled with. He can be dangerous when necessary. It may not mean much because you are his only child, and you may be immune to that part of him, but others won't be," Janine warned quietly.
I nodded to myself even though she couldn't see me. "I miss you," I said suddenly.
Janine sighed. "I miss you. I'll talk to your father about letting you have more access to people. It's not good for you to be alone."
"See! It's a valid point!" I exclaimed. Janine chuckled and then sighed. "I'll see about coming to see you too. I think it'd be good for you to have some mother-daughter time right now. Maybe go and pick out some things for the baby. I want to help you prepare. Becoming a mom can seem so scary at first, and I don't want you to feel like that," Janine explained.
"I'd love that," I said when the shower turned off. "I gotta go but thank you for taking my call. I know that you're probably working."
Janine tsked. "Of course. I'll see you soon. Sleep well," she said before hanging up. I smiled to myself and set my phone on the nightstand, appraising myself in the mirror. Abe never made any questions about the clothing I bought, nor do I think he paid attention to what it was I was purchasing.
It was a simple nightgown, but it was pretty and flowy. I may be pregnant, but it didn't mean I didn't want to look appealing for my man. I climbed onto the bed and grabbed my moisturizer off the nightstand, rubbing it onto my legs and feet before moving to my arms, glancing up at Dimitri when he came into the room. His hair was still dripping and his sleep pants riding low on his hips.
I bit my lip as I looked him over, rubbing the towel over his face before rubbing the ends of his hair.
"Have you been working out more?" I asked, my mommy hormones starting to stir inside me.
"A little. It was that or dwell on not seeing you," Dimitri said as he rested the towel on the back of my chair and looked at me. He smiled softly and came towards me, pulling the bottle from my hands. I smiled up at him and closed my eyes when his lips met mine. I hummed quietly and rose onto my knees, wrapping my arms around his neck and twisting my fingers into his wet hair.
"I've been waiting for a kiss like that all day," I whispered when he pulled back. Dimitri met my lips again and rested his hands on my hips, pulling me closer to him as his hands wandered up my sides and to the small of my back.
"I didn't want to push my luck and blink, only to find that this was a dream," Dimitri said quietly. I nodded and yawned, shaking my head a little bit.
"Is it terrible that I have no energy to stay up and talk your ear off?"
Dimitri laughed quietly and pecked my lips before helping me ease back onto the bed, crawling over me carefully and then lying beside me. I curled into him and tucked my toes against his legs, making him sigh. It was always something that happened when we cuddled, my toes finding a way to touch him. It was just comforting and being curled up to him was even better.
"No, because worrying has been exhausting and all I want is to sleep," Dimitri said as he pulled the covers over the two of us, pressing a kiss to my neck. I sighed and tucked closer, my hand resting on his stomach while his hand rested on my hip.
________________________
We have returned to some Romitri fluff! <3
Let me know what you think!