Chapter Ten - Rosa
A gloriously familiar scent curled around her nostrils. It smelled rich and earthy, like a fresh-tilled field after the spring thaw. It was full of life and promise but remained still with the death of winter as an undeniable undercurrent. Rosa pulled in a deep breath, sighing as the scent intensified. She knew it as if from a dream, and her lips curled into a smile.
"Angelus."
She could hear his heartbeat, slow, but present. The mattress she lay upon sagged as he sat beside her. His hand touched her face, not ice-cold, as before, but as warm as sunshine. Her eyes flickered open. Angelus beamed at her, more handsome than she had ever seen him.
"You're awake. I was afraid… the process doesn't always take." His fingers brushed through her hair. "How do you feel?"
"I feel…"
Memories came rushing back and Rosa tensed. Her hand flew to her throat as she gasped. Her skin was smooth under her fingers, but she remembered how the gash had felt. She choked on the memories, her whole body going rigid. Angelus gathered her into his arms, rocking her back and forth. Rosa clung to him, struggling to breathe. She should be dead.
"It's okay, it's okay," Angelus murmured. "You're okay. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Sorry for what? Rosa stared past his shoulder as she held him. His scent was so powerful. His heartbeat. All of her senses were far more finely tuned than they had ever been before. She shivered. The knife cutting her throat. Her blood between her fingers. Knowing she was going to die. That had all happened, but somehow…
"I'm a Vampire," she whispered. "You turned me into a Vampire."
"It was the only way to save you." Angelus pulled back, cupping her face in his hands. "I'm sorry. I only had seconds to act, I didn't know what you would want. I only knew I couldn't live without you."
Rosa pressed her fingers against his lips. "I didn't want to die. Don't be sorry for saving me, Angelus."
He let out a shaky breath and kissed her gently. The contact sparked heat deep inside Rosa and she moaned into his mouth, throwing herself forward—they were suddenly on the far side of the room in a tangled heap. Rosa yelped in surprise, but Angelus laughed. He kissed her neck and pulled her into his embrace.
"It'll take some time to get used to your new strength. I look forward to helping you."
His eyes twinkled, causing Rosa's ardor to reignite, but as she straddled him, bringing her mouth to his, she remembered something else. Something far more important than sex. She was on her feet in an instant, her hands probing her soft stomach.
"The baby!"
Angelus got to his feet, smiling and shaking his head as he pulled her into his arms again. "She's fine."
"Where is she? How long have I been unconscious?"
"Calm down. Calm down. Lucilia has her right now. We've found that she needs a little blood mixed in with her infant formula. But now that you're awake, I'm sure we can find a way to get her to breastfeed. It's supposed to be hard for them to take the nipple after having a bottle but—"
"How long have I been unconscious?" Rosa repeated. Was she going to meet her baby to find her three months old? A year? Her heart didn't hammer like it would have when she was still human, but she was very aware of it beating in her chest.
"A day."
"A day." Rosa let out a relieved sigh. Her baby was still a baby.
Angelus squeezed her hand. "Let's go see her. She's beautiful, just like you. She has your dark eyes and hair."
Rosa smiled happily and headed for the door but stopped abruptly. A new fear filled her and she yanked her hand from her Vampire King and retreated back into the room. "No. No, I can't. I'm a newly-turned Vampire. I have to deal with bloodlust and… and what if I attack her? What if I drink her blood?"
Angelus shook his head again, taking her hands in his. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know there is a lot that you still have to learn. We never really talked about what it means to be a Vampire. I'll be with you every step of the way. But, about blood..."
Rosa shuddered.
"You'll have the desire to drink it, and you'll need to drink it. Yet, the trouble of being a new Vampire is getting used to having to drink fresh blood. You're the same person you were before you were changed, Rosa. Your personality, your morals, they're all the same. Would you hurt a baby before the change?"
"No." Rosa was horrified at the idea. "Never."
"Then you won't have the desire to hurt our baby now."
Angelus kissed her again and led her from the room. Nerves still churned in Rosa's stomach, but she trusted her Vampire King. Everything seemed brighter and more beautiful as they walked through the corridors. She saw details that she had never noticed before. Soon she heard a gentle thrum, and before Angelus told her it was a heartbeat, she knew it was their daughter.
She was perfect, just like Angelus had said. Helena had paler features than Rosa, but the shape and color of her eyes were all like her mother’s. Those eyes blinked sleepily when Lucilia passed the baby to Rosa. The instant the baby was in her arms, a well of love overwhelmed her. She was perfect. She had beautiful, delicate features and felt so very fragile.
"You're crying," Angelus whispered.
"She's just so beautiful. Take her, please." Rosa sniffed. "I don't know my own strength, I don't want to hurt her."
"You won't hurt her."
"I just don't want to have an accident."
Angelus nodded and took the baby. He settled in the chair that Lucilia had abandoned, and Rosa pulled a second chair close, marveling at how easy the heavy thing was to move. She settled down, gazing lovingly at her daughter and the love of her life, so happy and content that she began crying again. Embarrassed by her tears, she wiped them away.
"I didn't know Vampires could cry," she laughed.
"Vampire can do anything humans can do. Except… a Vampire man and woman can't have children together." A look of sorrow came over Angelus' face. "Rosa, I'm sorry… we can't have more children."
Rosa shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I never wanted more than one child, anyway. When Helena is a little older, we may decide we want another one and adopt. It's what we would have done anyway," she added, trying to lighten the mood. "No way in hell was I going to go through another nine months feeling like my stomach was turning inside out."
"You are such an amazing woman." Angelus leaned forward to kiss her, but Rosa stopped him.
"If I attack you like I did the last time, Helena could be hurt."
Angelus nodded and withdrew. A moment of peaceful silence descended until Rosa felt calm enough to ask for her daughter back. She held the baby on her lap, gazing in amazement at the tiny person. She was so wrapped up in her baby that Angelus' sigh actually startled her.
"Rosa, I'm sorry."
"I already said I didn't want to die."
"Not about turning you. About before." Angelus dragged a hand through his hair. "About dismissing your reaction to the violence of Freya's punishment. I drove you away by not seeing what you were afraid of. I didn’t take it seriously even after you told me about your stepfather. Everything that happened was my fault."
Rosa shook her head. "I shouldn't have expected you to have my morals, but I appreciate your apology."
"I'm going to do better, I promise. I have reviewed our laws and changed them. Now, instead of just punishment, there will be rehabilitation programs and imprisonment rather than just a harsh corporal punishment–even release. I've hired a group of psychologists, too, to help create the best, most effective law system possible. I'm starting with Freya. She had no idea that her Vampire worshipers had attacked you, but she still has committed numerous crimes against humanity that cannot go unpunished. Yet, I am looking for better punishments."
Talking about this made her think of her stepfather and Rosa shuddered. "The Vampire that handed me over to Michael said he was working for Freya."
"I interrogated them both. I very much doubt that Freya was actually involved in any of this. It was just a man blindly in love with her."
"What happened to Michael? Did you kill him?"
"No." Angelus sounded proud of himself. "I didn't kill a single human while rescuing you. There were deaths, but that was them killing each other. I damaged some pretty bad… but not so bad that they would die–not even the gorilla when I crushed his windpipe. I thought he was going to die for certain, but… You don't want to hear about that."
He really had changed. He listened to her worries and changed his way of thinking. If she wasn't still holding Helena, Rosa would have thrown him to the ground and made the most passionate love to him that she could. She settled for a kiss, long and deep, her heart full to overflowing.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you."
"I love you, too." Angelus kissed her again. "Regina cor meum. I love you."
"Regina what?"
"It means Queen of my heart. Which you are."
Rosa closed her eyes, leaning against him, her baby in her arms and she, herself, in her lover's arms. Finally, for the first time in her life, she knew she was safe and loved. The homeless girl had finally found her home.
*****
THE END