The Dead May Rise ✓ (GxG)

1921 (Bonus Chapter)

(Moy dragotsennyy malen'kiy detka = my precious little baby.)
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Snow flurried around outside of the Kryvichyn-Stavayev household.

     Aedona was still sleeping, her head pushed deeply into the pillow.

     Night bad already fallen around the home.

     Valeryan was an adult now—-nineteen years of age—-the same age Aedona had been when she first met Bear.

   Dagmar was already sixteen-years-old.

    Slowly, Aedona began to stir. She yawned, her pink gaze falling upon the frosted, nighttime window. Night already, huh?

     Donnie rubbed her eyes as she sat up.

     When she first became a siren, she found it hard to adjust herself to her new nocturnal schedule—-but now, she seemed to be fully adjusted to it.

     Outside the doorway of her and Bear's shared room, there was a bump against the wall.

     Aedona smiled faintly, knowing exactly what the noise was—-or rather, who. "You can come in, you know…" Her voice was gentle.

     Roman Kryvichyn-Stavayev giggled before he peaked his head into the doorway of the room.

     Donnie gasped at the little boy. "Oh! There's my little baby!" She smiled at the boy still. "Come to mamochka!"

      Roman, who was already five-years-old, giggled once more as he ran over climbing onto the bed and throwing himself into a hug with his mother.

     Donnie wrapped her arm around the little boy, pulling him close and kissing his forehead a few times. "Moy dragotsennyy malen'kiy detka," she whispered softly to the little boy before kissing his forehead once more.

     "Mamochka?" Roman began to ask as he pulled back.

     "Hm?"

     "How'd you get the burns on your face?" Roman adjusted himself on the bed and plopped himself right next to Aedona.

     "Well, that's a very long story, Roman," she started to say. "But… during the Great War… I was a nurse… The fort we held was ambushed by the Germans."

     Roman pulled a face at that.

    "Oh, come on now," Aedona responded. "Not all Germans are bad, Roman… Take Dagmar for example… You love her, right?"

     "Yep! …because she's my big sister," Roman replied.

     "Well, she's German…" Aedona said, to which the little boy didn't seem to believe. She continued on with her story. "They shot bad stuff into the fort… and I got burned… But do you know who saved me?"

    "Uncle Pyotr and Epifan?" The little boy asked, innocently.

      "No." Donnie shook her head. "It was Mat'... And your Uncle Roman."

     "I wish I could've met Uncle Roman," the little boy said.

     "I know you do, detka…" Aedona responded. "I do know that wherever he is now… He adores you a lot."

    "He does?" Roman asked.

    "Mhm." Aedona nodded. "He does."

    "Mamochka?" Roman then began once more.

    "Da?"

     "Can I have a little brother?" Roman then asked with big, pleading eyes. "Pretty please?"

      Aedona fell silent for a moment. She hadn't even pondered the idea of having another baby with Bear. She looked down at her stomach for a moment before looking back over at Roman. "We'll see."

     Outside the room, there was the sound of the front door opening.

      Roman perked up.

      Donnie gasped again. "Oh? Is Mat' home?"

     Bear had been gone for a few months since she was busy dealing with a conflict—-that's what was expected of her. She was the 'Warmonger' after all.

      Roman bounced a little.

      Aedona then asked, "Should we go see her?"

      Roman nodded before he jumped off the bed. "Come on, mamochka!" He ran out of the room.

      Donnie giggled to herself before getting off the bed and heading to the front door.

      Bear was already giving Roman a hug.

     "Oh, wow. A big hug…" Then Donnie giggled. "Or dare I say a bear hug?"

      Bear quickly scowled at Donnie's joke, showcasing she wasn't amused.

      Dagmar, who was passing by to head to the restroom, stopped when she saw Bear. "Mat'." She ran over and hugged Bear, tightly.

     Bear hugged her back, stroking her curly hair. "My little girl…" She mumbled.

     When Dagmar pulled away and went off to finish was she was doing prior, Bear moved closer to Donnie.

      Aedona giggled a little bit to herself. "Come here you." She pulled Bear into a tight embrace.

     After a few minutes, the two separated.

    "Mamochka!" Roman called out, already heading down the hallway after tapping Donnie's leg. "I want to play tag."

     "Just a moment, detka…" Aedona told the boy. She moved closer to the older woman. "By the way," Donnie whispered to Bear. "I think we should have another baby." Then, she placed a gentle kiss on Bear's lips. Donnie turned away quickly, chasing a giggling Roman down the hallway while Bear just stood in shock.