Forbidden Bliss✔ (Completed)

Chapter 23

*Améthyste Joie*

"That crazy bitch." were Natalia's first words when she came out of Alexei's room. He was sleeping now. "Where is she? I'm going to kick her ass to high hell."

"She's obviously disturbed." I sat down on the bench. Alek had gone to his office, something about a meeting that couldn't be rescheduled. "No sane person does this." 

She let out a weak chuckle, "Please tell me you're not feeling sorry for her." I looked at my hands, "She could have killed Alexei." she hissed.

"I know." I pushed my hair from my face, "But I can't help but think--"

"No, you can't do that. You can't let her off that easily. She has clearly been at this for years." 

I hunched my shoulders and looked at my hands, "Maybe if I can find out what made her do it."

"She's crazy. That's it. No other explanation." she said and leaned back with folded arms. That was her posture when discussions were closed. We sat there for a while, looking into empty space. "So Alexei told me something about Paris."

I looked at her, "I can't stay here. Not after this." I said and shook my head, "I'll speak to Henri Denes about my inheritance, maybe take business classes and take that leadership position in his company." I put my hands together, "I just want to get my son out of here." 

Alia smiled at me, "What was that thing smart people say about making decisions when you're emotional?"

"You can come with us." I offered. Alia had been with me since I was fourteen, she was my better half, my best friend, I couldn't leave her behind.

She shook her head and smiled some more, "No." She quickly took my arm, "I'm grateful for the offer but I can't always tag along in your life. I have to begin a path of my own." She flipped her hair, "Plus, Kurt's asked me to move in with him."

"What?! When?!" I gasped.

"A while ago." she replied with a shrug. "I said no."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Honey, if leave you, you and that beautiful boy would either starve to death or die from a gas stove fire." she said.

"I'm not that bad." I defended, "I can fry an egg and make coffee."

"Sweetie, you make excellent coffee but you can barely boil water." she cupped my cheek, "But if you're going to be a hotshot CEO then you can afford a live-in chef."

"Thanks, I think." I half-smiled, half-scowled.

"So what are you going to do about Alek?"

"What do you mean?" I watched nurses giggle as they walked past.

"He wants to be in Alexei's life." 

"He can come and visit him if he wants." I didn't think Alek would have a problem. But then again, he had become invested in Alexei over the last few months. I would make some sort of deal with him, he would understand why I wanted to get out of here.

"Well, let me know when you've figured it all out." Alia pursed her lips.

I got up and stretched, "I'm going to go check on him again."

I stayed with Alexei overnight, he slept all day and all night after eating the soup. The nurse came to check on him periodically, I eventually fell asleep in the chair. 

I woke up the next morning to the sound of cartoons. Sometime in the middle of the night someone had placed a blanket over me. I yawned and rubbed my eyes and the back of my neck. Sleeping in a chair was never a good thing for humans. I stopped rubbing my neck when I saw Alexei sitting up on the bed with a bowl in his hands. He smiled at me and put a spoonful of what I hoped was cereal in his mouth.

"What are you eating?" I asked with a husky voice.

" Bubblegum Otees." he replied.

I rose and touched his head, "You look like you are doing better." His colour was good, he no longer seemed sluggish but he wasn't as hyperactive as he usually was. 

"He is." Dr Stoll said as he walked in with two interns. "Children bounce back much faster than grown ups. Hello Alexei." 

"Hello." He said and put more Oatees in his mouth. I normally didn't allow him to have so much sugar in the morning. He either had oatmeal or original flavour Cheerios but under the circumstances he could have whatever he wanted.

Stoll checked him, wrote on the chart and turned to me, "There is no sign of long-lasting neurological impairments. He seems completely fine. I don't see why you can't take him home this afternoon." he smiled and closed the chart.

"Really?" I gaped at him, "Thank you!" I felt moisture on my cheeks and swiped at the tears. "Oh, I really need to stop crying in front of you." I choked.

He smiled and touched my shoulder, "It's okay." 

"Where are you going?" I asked when I saw Alexei scramble off the bed.

"To the bathroom." he said and pulled the door open, "Or do you want to come with me?" he looked at me. When had I gotten up?

I sighed, "Fine, go." I dropped back into the chair. I watched the closed bathroom door as if I could see right through it. Alexei was a pretty independent child and I knew I had to try and keep it that way but a big part of me wanted to go with him everywhere. How was I going to watch him run up to school without the dreaded feeling of not knowing whether he would walk back out or not?

"It never goes away, you know." I heard Stoll say. I turned to him with a dubious expression, "The worrying." He spoke without looking up from the chart he was reading, "It's always been there but now it's been magnified." He smiled, "It will die down over time but it will never go away."

"I hope it didn't change him." I wrapped my arms around my middle.

"He probably won't remember much of it." he put his pen in his coat pocket, "It'll become a figment of his imagination. That's the bliss of being a child." He smiled and walked out.

I released a breath I had been holding when Alexei came out of the bathroom.

"Did you wash your hands?"

"Of course. I'm not interested in getting salmonella." he said and scrambled up onto the bed.

I laughed and sat back on the chair.

~*~

Alexei had been back home for over a week now. He still wreaked havoc with his toys and made noise with his squeaky hammer. I went to meet with my father's lawyer and he agreed with my idea to accept my father's inheritance and take business classes before assuming any role in the company. The board of trustees and directors would run it in the mean time.

I took a leave of absence at work and have been spending every hour of every day with my son. That and helped Alia start packing to move out.

The strangest day came when I got a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Doctor Joie, my name is Alucard Hanson attorney to Miss Lilia Christakis." I held my breath, "Please don't hang up." he rushed out.

~*~

A/N: I know this is boring. I'm really sorry but one more chapter to go (well one or two).

Is Alek going to let Amy take Alexei out of the country?

What does Lilia's lawyer want from Amy?

Should she hear him out?

What do you think?