By the time I was let out, I had fifteen minutes left of classes. So, I headed to my dorm, placed one folder in my bedside table and the other in my training bag. I grabbed Dimitri's card and put it on top of his copy of the folder, changed to train and rushed to the gym.
All I did was sit in the store room and look through the folder, reflecting on the turn of events. Oh boy. Had my life changed. I now had a littlie to look out for and to look after. I couldn't help the tears of- well, I wasn't quite sure what- as I remembered the sound of my miracle's beating heart. And that was how Dimitri found me.
"Rose? What's going on? You're never here before me. And you hardly ever cry." My baby's daddy came and sat beside me. I reflexively snapped shut the folder and grabbed the card.
"Here. Happy Birthday, Daddy." I handed over the card and folder to the frozen father.
"R-Roza? Y-you..." he was at a loss for words. That's when he snapped. At me. "You cheated!" was all I had to hear before I went on the offensive. How he could possibly think of me like that was beyond me. He, of everyone, should have known I was the reverse of the rumours.
"Shut! Up! Look at the damn folder! I've spent all afternoon in that stupid clinic. Voluntarily! For." Poke. "Your." Poke. "Sake." Poke. "I did not willingly ask for three blood tests and a prenatal 'breed' test for nothing. Well, I got the 'no match' out of the 'breed' test- as expected."
"R-"
"Just read," I sighed. I didn't want to hear his voice until something come out of it that indicated he truly believed. "You're ready, I'm not. I need your support right now, at least on the student-teacher level."
That hurt. It twisted a knife in my chest that I needed to reduce us to the roles we'd never sat in comfortably, all because he refused (yet again) to be open minded. "I'm not normal, Dimitri. I've never been normal. If you want me, us- and I'm not referring to you and I." I caught his flinch, but continued on, "then you have to learn that I will never do things the way they're supposed to. You need to accept that your life is going to be as screwed up as mine all because I'm in it in someway." Okay, now I was crying again. And this time I knew what from. Betrayal.
"Oh, Roza." said Dimitri five minutes later. He dropped the folder and pulled me onto his lap, and into his chest. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so, so, so, so so sorry. Mommy." I looked up at him to learn he was crying.
"Daddy?"
"You've given me the best possible birthday present and I've thrown your effort and bravery in your face. I love you, both of you, so much."
"We love you too, Daddy. We love you too, and we forgive you."
"Thank you Mommy, thank you Bubby."
"Oh, Dimitri. What are we going to do? We're a mess."
"Yes, we are. But we have a baby to think about. So, we are going to make things work. We will work, Roza. I promise you."
"What's going through your head, Comrade?"
"That I'm dropping being your mentor..."
"Bu-" I got an finger lightly pressed against my lips. Damn! He had no clue what he did to me.
"I'm not leaving. I can't. Both of you are my family, and you're here. Roza," by now, my heart was pounding. God, I loved him. But what was he planning? "It's our family, my love, and people should know it. No one is going to send bloodwhore rumours around about my miracle's mother ever again."
"Are? Are you saying?" I looked at him in shock and surprise.
Was he seriously planning on dropping our cover? I mean, sure, when it came to age, we were legal enough. But the whole teacher twist was going to be a pain.
"You do realise that it's still problematic if you're on campus." I continued.
"Perhaps. But I won't be your teacher, simply a Guardian." Same difference. "If the genes turn out to hold the typical Belikov strength, it'll be obvious anyway. We'll be in more trouble if we continue to hide. I love you, Roza. Both of you."
"I love you too, Dimitri. We love you, Daddy. It's just... Well... You know, we know, you know how risky that suggestion is."
"I'm telling you, you're worth it. Both of you are completely worth it. I've told you before. I'll tell you again, my dearest Roza, you're worth whatever your mother (and everyone else) can throw at me."
"Oh Dimitri, how'd I luck out and get you?"
"Irrelevant. It's 'how'd I get you?'. Seriously Rose, how do you still love me? After everything?"
"How can I not? I'm yours, Comrade. I didn't get a say in being made for you, but I do get a say in standing by you- and I will. I need you and your love to keep me sane. The good you bring to my life far outweighs your stupid moments. We aren't being blessed with a baby for no reason. And it's not like I haven't done my fair share of hurting you. No one's perfect, and neither of us is a saint."
"Oh Roza." Dimitri breathed into my ear. "Screw you for teaching me my own lessons!" he softly teased.
"Last time you did that, we ended up with Bubby." I returned the playful note.
