Chapter Forty-three Bryn sat in the stool in front of the bathroom mirror, applying the finishing touches to her make-up. She added black honey lip-gloss to her lips, enhancing their rouge color, making sure her mouth stood out against the natural palate of her face. Her black wig looked cute with the tiny jeweled butterfly clip on the side, and her blue dress was sunny with yellow flowers. She thought she looked good, but her appearance wouldn't be doing much for her if things got too emotional tonight. Although it was still early, this was the night of her re-scheduled family birthday. She still had presents to open, cake to eat, and a brother to say goodbye to. But most importantly she had to face her father again. And she wasn't looking forward to the fight that was almost inevitable. Knowing that Anton was dreading this almost as much as she was, she got up and walked out to the living room to find him. He had just finished moving the table from the kitchen into the living room. Wiping his fore head on his sleeve, he turned and smiled when he saw Bryn. "You look absolutely gorgeous, my dear." She smiled, brushing the hairline of the wig. "Looks like you've been redecorating." "Uh, yeah. I figured it would be easier to have everything out here instead of all of us trying to crowd into the kitchen at once." He leaned over to kiss her lips lightly. "Why don't you go sit down while I get everything else ready? I don't want Dr. Anne blaming me for anything that might happen." She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Just don't work too hard, okay? I have a feeling this day is going to be bad enough already without you hurting yourself." She reached up for one more lingering kiss, then wiped a smudge of lip gloss off his lip with her thumb. As she headed over to sit down, looking a bit depressed, she said, "Let me know if you need help with anything." Anton had stepped into the kitchen by the time she spoke. "I think I've got it under control, my dear." He then returned carrying some paper plates, cups, forks, and napkins. He placed them on the table and turned to look at her. "Something wrong, Bryn?" She propped her cheek up, her elbow on the arm of the couch, and shrugged. "I'm just not looking forward to this. My birthdays have never been anything special, and it makes me wonder why they're bothering. Plus, I can almost guarantee a fight with my dad." She blinked a few times. "If he says anything mean to you, like last time, I swear I'll punch him." Anton walked over to the couch and sat down beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders and began rubbing his fingers in little circles on her head. He was a bit surprised how fast he had started thinking of the wig as her hair. "Actually Bryn, I hope you don't." Bryn turned her head and frowned at him. "I don't?" "Bryn, my dear, you're going to find that there will *always* be someone in the family who won't approve of me based on the fact that I'm a vampire And no matter how satisfying smacking them would be, that won't change their mind. Besides, he is your father. Unlike ourselves, he's not going to be around forever. I don't want you saying or doing something to him you'll regret for all time." She scooted closer and leaned her head on his shoulder. "The only thing I'd regret more is letting him insult you in your own home. I'm serious, Anton. Maybe you're used to this reaction from people, but I'm not. And I hate the idea of anyone saying things like that to you." She looked up at him, frowning. "I was guilty of that myself once, and I swear I'll never let it happen again. "I still feel horrible for how cruel to you I was in the hospital, when I found out Natasha caused the crash. I know that's not the same thing as what we were talking about, but it still bothers me. You've had a bad enough week without me making it worse." She leaned closer and kissed the corner of his mouth, her eyes moist. "I'm so sorry, my love. I didn't mean to hurt you." "I know, my dear, and I accept your apology." He gently ran his thumb over her cheek. He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I know you didn't mean it, that you were speaking out of the pain and fear when you first found out." He tilted her head back so he could look into her eyes. "I love you, Bryn. And that's what matters to me, not what anyone else thinks." She took a deep breath. "If someone were saying those things about me, you wouldn't stand for it, either, Anton. I know you love me, and that should be enough for them. But there's so much more to you than how you feel for me, and if they can't see how amazing you are then I don't want them saying anything at all." He smiled and leaned his cheek against her head. "Fair enough, Bryn." He slipped an arm around her and hugged her tight. He held her until there was a knock on the door. "That's probably Nathaniel and Lindy." Bryn nodded. They had asked the other couple to show up early so they could apologize to Lindy directly. "I guess we should let them in." Anton pressed one last kiss to her forehead and then got up. He crossed over to the door and opened it. Nate and Lindy were standing there, expressions neutral. "Come in, please." Bryn stood up as they entered, suddenly feeling stupid for having dressed up so much. For some reason it felt wrong to be primping when she was supposed to be apologetic. She'd been so busy being worried about the confrontation with her family that she'd completely forgotten she had an even worse task ahead...explaining her behavior the night before. Instead of waiting for them to sit down and stiffly going through the necessary formalities, she took a deep breath and started talking the second Lindy met her gaze. "Last night was my fault, Lindy, and I'm so sorry. I don't know what got in to me. It was very wrong, and it won't ever happen again. I promise. Please don't be mad at Anton, because it wasn't his fault. It was all my stupid idea." She blinked, lowering her gaze. "If you can't forgive me I understand. I'm just very sorry." "Thanks for saying that, Bryn," Lindy said with a small smile. "It wasn't really what you did...well, no, I'm not going to let you off the hook that easily, but part of it was that it touched off some issues of mine that I need to work on." She glanced over at Nate and then back to Bryn. "I'm sorry I overreacted." Anton shook his head. "No, you didn't overreact, Lindy. I am sorry about what happened. I wasn't thinking at the time, and didn't even consider what your reaction would be, I'm ashamed to say." Bryn shook her head. "You weren't thinking clearly, Anton...and I'm the one who made the suggestion in the first place. It was my fault." She looked back at Lindy. "He's right, though. You didn't overreact at all. You were completely within your rights. I'm just sorry it had to happen." She took another deep breath. "Um, you guys don't have to stay if you don't want to. We just wanted to talk to you, and see if you were okay." Lindy glanced at Nate, who gave her a look that clearly said 'it's your call.' Lindy turned back to Bryn and grinned. "And miss your birthday party? No way!" Bryn let out a small laugh. "I guess that means you really don't forgive me, if you want to stay and watch my total humiliation. I can't imagine why else you'd want to stick around for this. I can almost guarantee you'll regret it." She put up a finger, signaling that she needed a minute to herself, then walked into the kitchen and grabbed a paper towel to wipe her eyes. She sniffled, barely glancing at them. "I'm sorry, I'm just...I hate my birthday. It's always a disaster." "Well, that's something that's going to change right now, Bryn." Anton put his arm around her. "I think between the three of us, we can prevent any disasters from happening." Lindy smiled. "Besides, it can't be any worse than what you pulled on me at that surprise wedding shower." She ducked her head, reaching up to pull the butterfly clip out of her wig. "At least that was meant to be fun for someone. I really don't think there's a whole lot any of you could do to make this day better. But thank you for trying." She stepped away from Anton's grip. "Um, I think I'm going to go change into something else. I feel ridiculous. I-I'll be right back." She hurried out of the room, leaving the rest of them staring after her. Nate frowned, glancing at Anton. "What's up with her? I thought she'd be in a good mood, today?" Anton shook his head. "Between what her father said, and what happened the other night, she's not been exactly enjoying herself. Excuse me." He followed Bryn's path to the bedroom and knocked on the closed door. "Bryn, may I come in?" He waited until he heard a muffled 'yes' before he opened it. "Are you okay, my dear?" She sat on the edge of the bed in her bra and underwear, her dress crumpled on the floor at her feet. She still had the paper towel in her hand, and it appeared she'd used it to hastily wipe every trace of make-up off of her face. Her lip gloss was still smeared slightly on her cheek. She didn't look up as he walked in the room and closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you just now. I just--this is all charity, Anton! Lindy being so nice to me...why is she? I certainly didn't give her any reason to. And my stupid party. What a joke. My parents haven't even acknowledged my birthday in years. They just feel sorry for me because of the accident." She shook her head. "I just wish they'd go home, so I could pretend this was any normal day. I just want to sit on the couch, eat some popcorn and watch a scary movie." "Bryn," he said softly, sitting on the bed beside her. "Lindy's being nice to you because she's your friend. If it'd make you feel better, I'll tell her she can start being mean to you." Putting an arm around her, he waited for Bryn's laugh to die down before continuing. "And as to your parents, maybe almost losing you made them realize what a precious treasure you are. I don't think they exactly know how to tell you that. Your father wouldn't have been so upset about what I am otherwise. "But you are not a charity case, Bryn. Not to me, or to any of your friends who love you. If you like, I can tell everyone that you're still not up to a party. But we are going to have to face your parents sometime, and I think the sooner the better." He squeezed her shoulders. "I wish I could make this easier for you, that I could take away the hurt and pain. I love you so much, Bryn, and I want to see you happy." She blew her nose and tossed the paper towel in the garbage, before turning and climbing into his lap. She hugged his neck, leaning tightly against him. "I love you, too. And thank you, but you don't have to tell them to go away. I just need a few minutes to pull myself together." She pulled back and lightly kissed his mouth. "I think there's just been so much happening this week, I feel like I'm on sensory overload." She opened her mouth to say more, but Lindy knocked on the door to tell them Bryn's family had arrived. Taking a deep breath, Bryn looked back at Anton. "Will you tell them I'll be out in a little bit? I just want to find something else to wear." "Okay, my dear." He kissed her lightly before allowing her to slide off his lap. "We'll eagerly await you, Bryn." He got up and hugged her tight. "Everything's going to be fine." Releasing her so she could get dressed, he got up and headed towards the door. "I'll see you in a few minutes." Still, he hesitated slightly before going back out there to face Steven and Bernadette Pruitt. He had faced disapproving relatives before without qualms, but this was different. Bryn's relationship with her parents was shaky enough, and he didn't want to add any further stresses than possible to it. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped into the living room. It wasn't as quiet as he'd been expecting it to be. John or possibly Nate had turned on some football, and the men were watching it in the living room. Lindy was helping Bernadette get some drinks for everyone. When Bryn's mother saw Anton, she smiled at him. "Good evening, Anton. Where is Sabryn?" "Good evening." He glanced towards the others. "Bryn's getting dressed. She said to tell you she'd be out in a few minutes." "Well, good," she said. "I think we'd like to talk to both of you before anyone else gets here." She headed towards the living room with a large bottle of Coca-cola and another of 7-Up. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable. This is your house, after all." "Uh, I--let me help you with that?" She shook her head and shooed him away. "I'll do this. Gives me an excuse not to watch football." John greeted Anton when he neared, then moved over to give him room on the couch. Steven merely nodded at him, almost nervously, and went back to watching the game. "Dad, didn't you have something to say?" John asked, making it clear in his tone that he wouldn't take no for an answer. "John." Steven cleared his throat. "I was planning on waiting until your sister was in the room." "Well, I'm in the room," Bryn said, from the doorway of the bedroom. "So why don't you go ahead and say it?" Anton stood as Bryn walked over to him. He let her take his spot on the couch. He just realized how very pregnant she must look to her family - the white T-shirt stretched tight across her bust, and the khaki brown short overalls only emphasized more the curve of her belly. Without the makeup, or even shoes, she looked small and vulnerable. [Let him say whatever he wants about me,] Anton thought, protective instincts clicking into overdrive at the sight of Bryn. [But if he insults her, I will pick him up bodily and throw him out.] Once she was seated, Anton perched on the armrest beside her. He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, which she grabbed and squeezed. He squeezed back as he smiled. There was a long silence during which Bernadette and Lindy could be heard discussing things in the kitchen. He was surprised that the accusations about him being little more than a blood-drinking corpse hadn't started, as was the usual when strangers first found out about him. Anton finally felt compelled to speak. "You had something to say to us, Steven?" The entire house suddenly became very quiet. Petunia even stopped scratching her ear and perked up to see what was happening. Turning his chair slightly to face them, Steven leaned his elbows on his thighs and rubbed his face. He only looked at them briefly before he started to speak. "I, uh...I wanted to apologize...for my behavior the other night." He swallowed heavily. "I was obviously in shock and denial, and maybe I still am...but I had no right to say the things I did." He met Anton's gaze. "But, saying that, I still have a lot of problems with this situation. I made a promise that I'm not going to yell or get nasty, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to speak my mind. This is my family we're talking about. And I have a lot of concerns." Bryn glanced up at Anton, resting her hand on his thigh. It was obvious she was leaving it up to him whether he accepted the apology or not. She didn't look like she was quite willing to. He placed his other hand over Bryn's, intertwining their fingers, gaze not wavering from Steven's. "Your reaction was not completely unexpected on my part. It was not the way we wished to tell you, and I apologize for my part of it. And I accept your apology." He broadened his gaze to include John. "I know you must have questions. Ask freely and I will answer them honestly. Or would you prefer to wait for Bernadette and Lindy?" Still listening in on the conversation, Bernadette walked around the counter and headed for the living room. Lindy followed behind her. "No need to wait on our account." Steven sighed, reluctant to continue. Bryn knew her gaze on him was making him uncomfortable, but she wasn't about to make this easy for him. She understood that he was worried, but she also knew he should've trusted her to know well enough to care for herself. Tightening her grip on Anton, she waited silently. Hoping she didn't have any cause to worry. Finally speaking, Steven held Anton's gaze. "I believe you when you say you won't harm my daughter or anyone she cares for. But the simple fact is that you kill to survive. And I want to know what you plan for Sabryn to do if you get caught for murder. Conjugal visits are not my idea of a happy marriage." Anton's face grew deadly serious. "If I were caught for murder, I wouldn't be sent to prison. If I weren't killed immediately out of fear, I'd be sent to a scientific laboratory for study. As for Bryn," he tightened his grip around her hand. "I have friends, both human and vampire, who will watch over her. But I doubt I would see her again." "And what about your child? Even if they could somehow be convinced that Sabryn is inno--is human, they might come after the baby as well. Do you expect her to give up both her husband and her son?" "No, I don't. I would sacrifice myself before I'd let them take Max from Bryn." He knew this would have to be brought up sometime, but didn't know how her parents would react. "If they ran certain tests on me, they would find that I am sterile. Bryn's pregnancy is truly miraculous" Steven glanced at Bernadette and his son, and then back at Sabryn, his brow furrowed. "I don't understand. Are you saying this isn't his baby?" Bryn shook her head, looking truly miserable after his first two questions. "No. This is Anton's son. But I don't know how." Steven let out an unamused laugh. "You don't know? My God, Sabryn. Have you been screwing around or what?" "No!" Lindy and Nate shared a look that said 'Shit! This is not good.' "I thought you said that you would not 'become nasty.'" Anton's face went stone cold. "Bryn told me that this child is mine. That's more than enough reason for me to believe her. And if it isn't enough for you to believe her, then I ask that you leave." "It's a legitimate question," Steven replied, just as seriously. "How can a sterile man be a father?" "Dad...just drop it," John muttered. "You had other damned questions, now ask them." Although he shot a glare in John's direction, Steven decided to let it be. Returning his stare to Anton, his gaze wavered slightly when he registered the anger on his son-in-law's face. "Is our grandson going to be one of...you?" Sabryn let go of Anton's hand, standing up. "Get out of my house." "What?" "If you're going to walk in here and act like a bigoted asshole to my husband, in his own house no less, you're not welcome here. Get out." Her father gaped at her, his mouth moving like a fish out of water. Anton stood up as well, moving behind Bryn. He wrapped his hands around her shoulders, as much to soothe Bryn as to help keep himself held back. "If we cannot discuss this like rational people, then I ask that you leave willingly before I have you thrown out. Now which will it be?" Bernadette cleared her throat, and scooted her chair up next to her husband's. They could all literally see the power shift the moment she did so. If Bryn weren't already so angry and upset, she might've laughed at that. "He'll be talking through me from now on, so that won't be necessary." She glanced back at Steven. "If you have a question, you ask me and I'll translate...since it's obvious you've got your foot too far down your throat as it is." Looking sullen and chastised, Steven crossed his arms. "Go ahead, Bennie. Ask your questions." She waited until they sat down once more. Bryn made a point of giving her seat back to Anton and then sitting sideways on his lap, her head against his shoulder. She didn't have to say a word for her message to be crystal-clear. Taking a deep breath, Bernadette said, "Is the baby going to be a vampire? And are you prepared to handle that possibility?" "At this point we don't know what Maxim will be," Anton said honestly. "His amniocentesis revealed a few abnormalities, but he's healthy. He may be a vampire like I am, or he may be something else, something between vampire and human. And as for us being able to handle that possibility," Anton gave a small shrug. "How many new parents are truly prepared? "But if you're referring to if he'll need blood the way I do, I will be that source. Not Bryn." Bernadette nodded. "And what about Sabryn? She said you were going to-- what was it? Change her into a vampire somehow?" "Not for three to five more years," Bryn muttered, not even bothering to look at them when she answered anymore. Anton could literally feel her shaking against him, her muscles trembling like a weightlifter's after a hard workout. Whether it was from fear, sadness, or anger--or all of the above--he wasn't entirely sure. "It's not open for discussion anyway. It's final." "You're willing...to drink blood? What is the benefit for that?" "I'll be with him forever." "And that's worth killing for?" She wasn't being rude like Steven. It was merely a question. "That's worth dying for." "Bryn has asked this of me," Anton said quietly. "This is not a decision that we have come to without a lot of discussion. She has seen what I am, and knows what I must do to survive. She made this choice willingly, and I intend to honor it for all time." To his amazement, Bernadette smiled and blinked a bit of moisture out of her eyes. She glanced over at Steven. "Was there anything else you wanted to know?" Steven, perplexed by her expression, merely shook his head. "Well then...I guess that was all we needed to discuss." She glanced back at Anton and Bryn. "Thank you." Bryn sagged against him, burying her face against his neck. He could feel the sudden heat on her face and knew a burst of emotion wasn't far behind it. It wasn't long before he felt the moisture of tears on skin. Anton gently stroked her back. "Excuse us for a moment." Effortlessly, he hooked his arm under her knees and stood up. Without another look at their guests, he carried Bryn back to the bedroom. He could feel her shaking as he kicked the door shut with his foot. Sitting down on the bed, he pulled her closer. "Go ahead and let it out, Bryn. Nobody's here but me. Don't hold back." She tightened her grip on his sweater and his neck, sobbing broken-heartedly. She wasn't even sure what she was so upset about herself. Maybe it was anger at her father, or relief that it was over. All it boiled down to was that her parents' opinion of her meant more to her than she'd ever willingly admit. And she hated the idea of them not approving of her marriage. Even more so, she hated that they would openly insult the most loving, generous, and honorable man she'd ever known. It broke her heart. But she knew with or without their approval, she would be more loyal to Anton than his own shadow. Sooner or later she managed to catch her breath and settle down somewhat. But she didn't loosen her grip on him one bit. He clung to her equally tight, gently rocking and murmuring soothing nonsense into her ear. He pressed his lips to her temple. He knew despite what she said, Bryn was still seeking her parent's approval, and it was hurting her that her father had such a bigoted attitude. And it stung him as well, although he had experienced it before several times. "Do you want to go back or should I ask everyone to leave?" She sniffled. "Just hold me for a while?" "Okay." He grabbed her legs and tucked them close against his side, rubbing some warmth back into them with one hand while he continued to clutch her with the other. "I'm sorry, Anton. I never thought he'd be so mean. I keep wondering if maybe I'd act the same way if it were my child...but I can't see it. I can't imagine being that cruel. And I'm so sorry if he hurt you." She looked up at him, her blue irises luminous against the redness of her eyes. "Vampire or not, you're the best man I've ever known and he had no right to judge you. He can't even compare to you." "Bryn," he said softly. "It's not your fault that your father thinks the way he does. What he said did hurt, but I'm so proud of you for standing up to him." He gently patted her back. "I love you, Bryn, my sunshine. And no matter what hurtful things he says, your love will always heal me." She gave him a shaky smile and then leaned closer to kiss his mouth, her hand resting on his cheek. She put all of her emotion into that kiss, letting him know that no matter what happened, she was completely his and nothing anyone said or did could change that. She gently stroked her tongue along his, moaning softly, and although it wasn't quite sexual, it was one of the most intimate moments she could remember having with him. "I do love you," she whispered against his lips when the kiss broke. "I always have and always will. I've loved you since the beginning of time, and I'll love you 'til the end." Anton smiled at her and lightly kissed her lips. "I'll love you for all eternity, my dear. I'm starting to believe that everyone else I've loved was just teaching me how to love you." He gave a slight sigh. "I guess we should head back out there soon." She frowned at that, but lazily slid off of his lap and stood up. "Thank you," she said, pulling him to his feet. She gave him a quick squeeze, kissing his chest, before taking his hand and letting him lead her back to the living room. She'd expected everyone to be staring at her when they returned, but they were too busy greeting the new guests. Bryn smiled at Alex and Walter, surprised to see Chandra with them as well. Mack wasn't in the room. She wondered if he might be down parking the car or something. Since Chandra was standing nervously off to the side, Bryn walked over to Jess first, pulling her into a warm hug, perhaps clinging to her a bit desperately. "I'm so glad you're here," Bryn said, quietly. "I didn't get much of a chance to thank you for everything you did while I was in the hospital. Taking care of Anton and Max. It means so much to me. Thank you." Jess hugged her back tightly. "You're welcome, Bryn. I'm just so glad that you and Max are doing okay." She frowned slightly when she realized that Bryn had been crying. "Are you okay? Something wrong?" She lowered her voice quite a bit when she said, "Bad day. We, um...we just got done talking to my parents about Anton being a vampire and him Transforming me later. We'd started this discussion yesterday, and it was a disaster. Today wasn't much better. I think I almost punched my father in the mouth." She gave her a small smile, but it didn't last long. "He was so mean to Anton. I'm embarrassed and ashamed...but only of my father. I would've kicked him out of the house if Anton hadn't been so calm." She looked past Bryn to where her father and mother were quietly talking. "They seem okay for the moment." She let out a sigh. "Wish I could say the same for Chandra and Mack." Anton overheard the last part of that comment. "Jess, what do you mean?" Jess sighed and shook her head. "She's left him. Said she can't handle what he's thinking and what she's feeling. This transition's pretty tough on her, and I can't say that Mack's been helping." Anton then went to the corner where Chandra was trying to blend into the wall. "Chandra, what happened?" She shook her head, closing her eyes briefly. "He can't accept it, Anton. He may say he does, but his thoughts say something different...and I can't deal with both of our problems right now. I'm too scared of my own changes to worry about what this will do to our relationship. We just need some time apart for a while." She took a deep breath. "We're not officially splitting up, and he knows that. But after the full moon I'm going back to Boston for a while. And if he figures out he still wants me, even knowing everything he does, then he'll have to come to me." "Chandra, I'm sorry to hear that. If there's anything I can do, please, let me know." He gave her a quick friendly hug. She returned the embrace, patting him on the back. "An email every once in a while might be nice. I can't be with him right now, but I'd like to know how he's doing. I know he won't tell me himself." "Okay. I can do that." Still slightly nervous, she nodded her head towards where Bryn and Jess were talking, and then went over to join them. As Bryn hugged Chandra herself, she met Anton's gaze over the other woman's shoulder. Trying to gauge how the news was affecting him. He sighed. Anton had considered Mack and Chandra to be one of the couples he knew with the strongest relationship. This news was unsettling, to say the least. But if Bryn and he had found their way back to each other, maybe there was hope for them. He saw Lindy and Nate showing off Liam, who had been brought by his grandparents, to Bernadette and Steven. He couldn't help but wonder what Steven would think if he found out the baby his wife was holding was a full- blooded werewolf. Leading Jess and Chandra into the living room, Bryn asked if they wanted anything to drink...then had to wonder if they had enough chairs. Deciding not to worry about it, she got the drinks for whoever asked for them and then took a seat on the floor. She was more than used to sitting at the kids table during family functions, so it didn't bother her at all. Still, she had to admit to a bit of jealousy when she saw how much her parents were enjoying holding Liam. She had to blink a few times to clear her eyes when she thought of how they might treat Max if he really did take after his father. Jess arched an eyebrow and got up from her seat. "Bryn, get up off the floor." "No, Jess, that's okay." "No, I'm serious Bryn. It's in my own self-interest. Anne'd kill me if she found out I let you sit on the floor." Bryn grinned at her. "Who's going to tell her? I'm not. If I so much as blink wrong she'll put me back on bed-rest." Motioning with her hand, she said, "Just sit back down. I'm fine. I'm used to sitting on the floor." Jess tilted her head at her. "Do you realize how depressing a statement that is?" Bryn blinked at her. She'd become so used to sitting on the floor or with the children that it was almost second nature. She'd often been the youngest of the so-called adults during holiday gatherings. So when the adult table was full, she was sent to sit somewhere else. With her young cousins, and later with her niece and nephew. "I--I guess I never really thought about it." But she had. Not often, but it was enough. Glancing over at her parents, she noticed her mother staring in her direction with an odd look on her face. Almost sad. If there hadn't been so much noise from the other guests, she would've thought Bernadette was listening to their conversation. Turning back to Jess, Bryn shook her head. "It's not a big deal, really. I sit on the floor when I paint, most of the time...or, at least, I used to." She shrugged. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Jess gave her a crooked smile, shaking her head. "Bryn, we can't have the guest of honor sitting on the floor. Get up and tell Alex to scoot over so you can sit next to your husband." Lindy came up behind her mother and hugged her hello. "Better do what she says, Bryn. Mom's just about as stubborn as Anton." "Really? If the two of them were in a stubbornness contest, who would win?" Lindy thought about it for a moment. "Anton, but only because Jess would die of old age first." "Hey!" Jess fixed her daughter with a mock glare. "See if I baby sit for you anymore." Bryn smiled...but didn't get up from the floor. She might not win in a stubbornness contest, but she wasn't quite sure she could stand up now anyway. Wedged between the couch and the coffee table, and already unwieldy because of her stomach, she figured she was better off where she was. "Thanks, guys, but I think I'm stuck. I'll just stay put for now." Glancing over at the door, she noticed Amanda walking in with her arms piled with presents. The girl stopped just inside the apartment, and loudly announced in a sarcastic tone, "I didn't need any help or anything!" Jess rolled her eyes. "You'll have to excuse my daughter." She looked at Alex. "She gets that attitude from your side of the family, you know." "My side?" Alex got up and took a few of the presents from his daughter over to the table. "You're favorite phrase, if I recall, is 'bite me.'" "Yeah, but you say it in Russian." Bryn grinned, thinking how much that sounded like Anton and Nate. "Otsosi," she murmured. Although she'd said it quietly, Anton, Nate, Alex, and even Walter stared at her in shock. She could feel her face turning bright red. "What? What did I say?" Nate tilted his head. "You just said 'blow me'." "I did?" "Where the hell did you learn that?" "I don't know." She blushed. "One of you must've said it before." Nate glanced at Anton, his brow furrowed. "Wasn't me." "Don't look at me," Alex muttered. "And I don't use that phrase," Anton said. "Look," Jess said. "My high school Spanish teacher told me that if you teach someone to swear in a foreign language, you remember it. Maybe Bryn heard that phrase somewhere and pulled it out of her memory without consciously remembering." Looking a bit embarrassed herself, Bernadette stood up and handed Liam back to Lindy. "If everyone is here, perhaps we should move on to the cake or presents?" "That would probably be a very good idea," Anton said. [She probably read that word somewhere while she was 'researching,'] he thought, ignoring the fact that her pronunciation was perfect. "So which will it be, my dear? Cake or presents?" Bryn shrugged. "Either would be fine." Finally deciding to take Jess's advice, she carefully got up from the floor (with a bit of help from Alex and Anton) and squeezed between the two men. She rested her head on Anton's shoulder, yawning. After all of the mixed emotions earlier, she was worn out. But she easily perked up when people started handing her presents. It had to be the most surreal moment of her life. She was used to spending her birthday like any normal day, possibly going out to dinner with John's family to celebrate. It was odd to have everyone staring at her as she opened gift after gift. She gleefully passed around the tapes John had gotten her--video collections of the Muppet Show, Ren and Stimpy, and Peewee's Playhouse. She hadn't seen any of those shows in so long, and they were all her favorites. She grinned as she thanked him, then nervously opened the package her parents had given her. She was shocked when she saw the pictures on the box of a digital camcorder. "Mom, Dad...this is too much!" Bernadette shook her head. "It's not. Besides, it's also for us...this way you can send us video of the baby as he grows up. We're finally connected to the internet, so emailing them should be easy enough." Bryn shook her head, astonished. "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Here, open ours next, Bryn." Lindy passed over a large box wrapped in red and gold paper. Nate leaned over to whisper in Lindy's ear. "What did we get her?" "Shh" she said quietly back. "You'll see." Bryn smiled, quickly tearing off the harlequin-print paper. There was a large white clothing box beneath, and she opened the lid to pull apart the tissue. She gasped as she saw the black velvet gown beneath. Heavy and luxurious, it had a scoop neck and an empire waist, and as Bryn pulled it out of the box, she also revealed the white velvet-lined medieval-style bell sleeves. "Oh Lindy, this is beautiful!" Lindy grinned. "It's pretty loose from the waist down, so you can wear it pregnant or not. And it looks better on than it does in the box," she added, smirking. "It's amazing." She glanced at her parents before saying, "It looks like a vampiress's dress." Lindy gave a slightly apologetic smile. "That didn't even cross my mind. I was thinking you could wear it after you gave birth." When Bryn's parents didn't say anything, Jess handed over their gift. "We weren't certain what to get you, so we decided on this." Bryn slipped the paper off of the blue wrapped box. This was also a slightly smaller dress box, but inside was a framed cross-stitched picture of two wolves sitting on a snowy outcropping of rock. Above them was a third wolf's face that faded in and out of the northern lights. Anton whistled low. "You made that?" "Yup," Jess said. "Hobby of mine." "It's beautiful, Jess. Thank you." She glanced at Anton. "This would look great in the library, in the new house." He nodded. "You can look at it when you're painting." She winced almost imperceptibly at that. As she continued looking at the picture, she murmured, "I guess it's time for cake now. Thank you everyone. I love my gifts." "No, I believe there is one more gift," Anton said. Reaching behind the cushion he was sitting on, he pulled out the black velvet necklace box. "Just remember Bryn, you once told me you'd wear this." Giving him a questioning look, Bryn took the jewelry box. She cracked it open, to find inside of it a macaroni stringed necklace. She giggled, pulling the necklace out of the box. It felt like the first time she'd truly smiled all day. "It's perfect, sugar. I love it." She leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you." She could feel everyone else staring at her like she was nuts, but she didn't care. She was perfectly serious. "Will you put it on me?" "Of course my dear," he said. He placed the macaroni necklace around her neck, as well the ruby and diamond one he had palmed earlier. She felt the heavy weight settle onto her sternum, and immediately lifted her hand to touch it. Looking down, her eyes opened wide at the sight of the pear- shaped ruby sitting just above her cleavage. It looked to be about the size of a robin's egg, and hung from the diamond and gold necklace like a dark red blood drop. Her gaze flew to Anton's in shock, and she immediately got up from the couch and ran to the nearest mirror. She gasped loudly at her reflection. "Oh my God, Anton! It's gorgeous!" Anton grinned widely, pleased. "I'm glad you like it, my dear." "Hey Bryn, come over here and let us have a look," Jess called. Bryn trotted over. Leaning forward, Jess whistled low. "That is gorgeous." She was literally bouncing with excitement as she showed it off to everyone. Soon afterwards the guests started moving to get cake, and she hurried over to the couch, immediately sitting on Anton's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much, for both of them. They're beautiful." She hugged him tightly, feeling content for the first time all day. She would've been pleased with the macaroni necklace alone, so long as it was from Anton. It meant the world to her that he'd remembered. But the ruby necklace was simply breathtaking. "I love you so very much." "And I love you so very much, my dear." He kissed her forehead. "I'm very glad that you like both of them. I wasn't sure how'd you react to the first necklace. I wasn't certain if you'd remember. But I wanted to let you know that I did listen and remember." She smiled again, then pressed her lips to his ear. "Thank you. I shouldn't have doubted you--you did make this day better." She couldn't help the sudden emotion in her voice. "And I was so scared I was going to hate my birthday for the rest of my life." About an hour later, after the last of their guests had left, Anton and Bryn headed back to their bedroom. Both were emotionally tired from the events of the day. Walking up behind her, he placed a kiss on the back of her neck, brushing against the macaroni necklace she refused to take off. "Going to wear this all the time, my dear?" "Maybe," Bryn grinned, leaning back against him. He ran his hands up and down her sides. "Even when you're in the shower? It might become a cooked macaroni necklace then." "Then I'll have a delicious midnight snack." She turned around, giggling. "I just want you to know I love both of them just as much." She stood up on tiptoes and kissed him, enjoying the lingering taste of frosting in his mouth. "You taste like birthday cake. You want to know what I wished for?" "I thought the superstition is that you can't tell anyone, or else your birthday wish won't come true." He nipped at her upper lip. She giggled. "That's before you blow out the candles." "Hmmm... then tell me what you wished for." She suddenly became serious. "It was two things, actually...that my dad was wrong and you'll never be taken away from me...and also that he'd finally see you as my husband, best friend, lover and soul mate, instead of just a vampire." "Oh, Bryn," he said softly. He pulled her close, hugging her tightly. He rested his cheek on her head and rocked her back and forth. "I love you so much, my dear. You are all that to me, and so much more." He tilted her head upwards and kissed her. She clung to him tightly, squeezing as close and her stomach would allow. She could feel Max moving inside of her, searching for a more comfortable position, and she wondered if Anton could feel it, too. She felt his hands slide down to her thighs, and he picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist, carrying her the short distance to the bed. He settled them both down on their sides, with her lying on his side of the bed for a change. She met his gazed with drugged eyes, bedroom eyes, and licked her lips. "I love you, too, Anton." He leaned forward and kissed her again. As his hands reached for the hem of her T-shirt. Slowly he worked it upwards, pulling away from her lips long enough to ease it over her head. He was careful not to pull her wig loose, knowing she wasn't comfortable without the security it provided. Looking into her eyes, he traced a finger along the chain of macaroni and then the along the gold chain of the ruby necklace. She scooted even closer, pushing her overalls the rest of the way off and dropping them to the floor. Her stomach was growing so rapidly now that her panties barely fit anymore. Her bra was stretched tightly across her chest, her darkened nipples showing clearly through the thin fabric. She reached up and grabbed Anton's hand, lowering it to her stomach so he could feel the shifting movements inside of her. No longer just weak kicks, Max moved a lot since coming home from the hospital. She'd even noticed that his activity picked up at the sound of Anton's voice. Anton grinned as a particularly forceful kick landed against his hand. "I think we've got a future soccer player, my dear." Gently, he slid his hand from her stomach around to her back to undo her bra. "You are so beautiful." He pulled her bra away from her breasts and bent down to nuzzle her. "So beautiful." He bent down and took a nipple between his lips and sucked lightly. Bryn was surprised when he pulled back, a look of shock on his face. "Um, Bryn... I think your lactating." She frowned, but still couldn't help being slightly amused by the look on his face. "I can't be--that doesn't happen until after the baby's born." Still, as she brushed her hand across her nipple, her fingers came away damp. She looked at them, confused. Then something in the yellowish-tint of the fluid triggered recognition. "It's colostrum. Caroline told me about it a long time ago." She met his gaze. "It's supposed to be like antibiotics for the baby. Not literally, but it helps develop his immune system." Smiling, she added, "Did it taste bad?" Anton smiled a bit sheepishly. "Actually, it's rather sweet. It was just a shock to taste it. I wasn't expecting anything until after Max is born." He lay down beside her again, hand gently teasing her waist. "Shall we try again, my dear?" At her nod, he gently began kissing her skin, working his way down to her breasts. When he reached her dark nipple, this time he was prepared for the fluid that leaked into his mouth as he clamped his lips down. "Mmmm..." She cried out at the sensation of him suckling at her, feeling an instant rush of wetness between her legs. She shuddered, moaning, combing her fingers through his hair. She had to blush as she wondered if she'd get the same reaction when Max nursed from her. Caroline had told her that she often did get sexually excited when nursing, and that it was normal. But she'd never thought about what it would be like to have Anton nursing from her...and she could barely keep still. "Oh God, Anton...I think I'm gonna cum..." He chucked a bit, but didn't let up from his suckling at all. Instead he brushed his hand between her thighs, probing delicately for her clit. A few gentle barely- touching strokes and he felt her arch beneath him, squealing. She pushed her hand down hard over his, spasming beneath him, her face flushed and body quivering. It felt like the orgasm lasted several minutes, although it was merely seconds. She sagged back to the bed, breathing heavily, loosening her grip on his hand. She felt him gently bathing her nipple with his tongue, and swallowed heavily. "God, how embarrassing...what if I do that in the women's restroom, in a department store?" After one last loving lap at her nipple, he crawled back up her body. "I was encouraging that, Bryn. I don't think you'll have to worry about it when I'm not around." He gently kissed her temple. "And I don't ever want to hear of you being embarrassed in our bed. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." She shook her head. "You didn't. I just...I liked it so much. It made me wonder if it's going to be like that every time." She pressed her forehead against his neck. "And...I was wondering if you'd think I'm weird if I asked you to do it again when my milk comes in." "Wouldn't that interfere with when Max needs to be fed?" "Not really." He shifted, bumping his neglected erection against her thigh. "I could easily be persuaded to do so." She smiled, kissing his neck, sliding her hand down to cup him through his slacks. She purred at how hard he was, immediately sliding down to unbutton and unzip him. She tugged his slacks and boxers down just far enough, then pulled his cock into her mouth. Moaning at the taste of him. She lightly scratched her fingernails over his ass, lapping at the head of his cock, delighting in the moans coming from above her. He squirmed as she licked a long stripe from his balls to the tip of his cock, stopping to probe the slit. He arched forward to push himself deeper into her. "God, Bryn! You've got such a wonderful mouth." She would've smiled if she didn't already have her lips wrapped around him. Stroking his balls with her fingers, she began moving her mouth up and down the length of him, trying to take him as deeply as she could, closing her eyes in concentration. He smelled and tasted amazing, and she moaned, sending little vibrations through his hard cock. She could feel herself getting excited again, her panties sticking to her wet crotch. She wouldn't have been surprised if she came again without being touched. He reached down and carefully ran his fingers through her hair. He could feel the pressure in his groin growing into tingling and it was far too soon for him. He pulled back from her mouth, holding her head in place when she tried to follow. "Bryn," he said hoarsely when she blinked up at him in confusion. "I want inside of you." She swallowed heavily, then crawled back up the length of his body. She placed her hand on the side of his face, kissing him deeply. His hands lifted to her breasts, and she moaned, pressing herself tighter against him. She hooked her thigh over his, trying to get as close as she could. "How do you want me?" she whispered against his lips. He stroked her face, thumb dragging over her lips. "I want you on top of me." She whimpered as he rolled onto his back and helped her sit up. He helped guide her onto his hard cock. His hands went back to her breasts, and he lightly circled her dark nipples. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, Bryn, my dear?" She shook her head, swiveling her hips to grind herself more fully upon him. She knew he could feel her squeezing him repeatedly inside of her, and smiled at the shifting expression on his face. Bracing her hands on his biceps, she started moving slowly, almost torturously, up and down the length of his cock. "How beautiful?" He arched up beneath her. "Enchantingly so, Bryn. I fell under your spell the moment I saw you. And you grow more and more beautiful every day." He bent his legs so she could lean back against them, and pushed harder, trying to get as deep into her as he could. He was breathing heavily, his hands sliding over her breasts and stomach. She whimpered, grinding back against him. She felt completely impaled, filled and stretched until she couldn't breathe. She bit her lip, letting her head fall back on her shoulders, content to just tighten around him and feel his body meshing with hers. Reaching for his hands, she held them in place over her breasts, curling her fingers against his. "God, I love it when you get inside me this deep. It feels so good. Sometimes I wish we could stay this way for hours." He squeezed and released her breasts, relishing the feel of her nipples against his palms. "I wish the same, Bryn." He thrust up inside her, feeling the head of his cock hit her womb. "Cum for me, Bryn. Show me how beautiful you are." She tilted her hips forward, swiveling her pelvis, pressing her clit down hard against the base of his cock. She whimpered, especially as he continued to thrust, his movements only pressing deeper and tighter inside of her. Leaning forward on her arms, she bent to kiss his mouth, her necklaces brushing his chest along with her breasts, her inner muscles squeezing convulsively at him. When she felt his hand lower to where they joined, his finger pressing between them to rub firmly at her clit, she pulled away from his mouth and gasped, twitching above him, her muscles rippling around him with climax. His head tilted back, and he moaned. He felt his orgasm roll over him in a powerful wave. He continued to flick lightly at her clit until she eased his hand away. Closing his eyes and giving a sated sigh, he grabbed her waist and rolled them both onto their side, slipping out of her as he did. Propping his head up one elbow, he gave her a sleepy smile as he stroked her hair back from her face. "What did I do to deserve you, Bryn?" She stretched a bit, then snuggled closer to him. "You loved me, Anton." She kissed the tip of his nose. "Perfectly, I might add." She rubbed her cheek against his pillow, inhaling deeply. "I like your side of the bed. Smells good. I want to wear one of your shirts tomorrow, so I can smell you on me all night long." He kissed her forehead and pulled her in a little closer. The thought of smelling him on her sent a little shiver through his frame. And sleeping on her side, surrounded by her scent was heavenly. He brushed her hair back from her forehead, thinking. "Bryn, are you going to sleep with your wig on?" She frowned slightly. "I guess I probably shouldn't." She hesitated before lifting her hand up to her head. She kept her gaze downcast as she pulled the wig off her head, rubbing her fingers against the light stubble on her scalp. She swallowed heavily, then handed the wig to him, gesturing for him to put it on the foam form on her night stand. She couldn't seem to look at him anymore when he rolled back to face her. Without even her scarf from the night before, she felt vulnerable and ugly. He gently stroked her face, eyes locked on hers. Anton leaned down and brushed his lips over the top of her head, once on the bridge of her nose, and once on her lips. "So beautiful, Bryn. No, don't look away from me." He gently turned her face back to his. "Bryn, when I was caught in the sunlight, did you turn away from me because I was ugly?" "No," she said. "You were hurt and I wanted to help you." "So why do you think I'm any different? Given time, your hair will grow back just as long and as beautiful as before. But until then, I don't want you hiding yourself from me. I love you for your inner beauty, as well as your outer beauty." He pressed his lips against her forehead. "I love you, Bryn. No matter what happens, or how you look. I love *you.*" Her gaze grew watery for a moment, until she blinked the tears out of her eyes and pressed her lips to his. She moaned softly, draping her upper body across his chest. She sucked lightly at his bottom lip before pulling back to look in his eyes. "Thank you for loving me, Anton." She nuzzled her face against his neck. "I love you, too." End Chapter Forty-three <- Previous Chapter | Home | Next Chapter ->