A/N: Well, it's been a long way since I wrote something for those two! Didn't take as long as I thought, though. I hope you like it as much as you liked the first story!
~Of Roses & Their Sharp Thorns~
"He's such a handsome boy!" Rose cooed as she leaned over Robert placing a kiss on his chubby cheek. She always heard about babies and how nice they smelled but she didn't believe it. Up until Sydney gave birth to her baby nephew and Rose's world was turned upside down. To be honest, she was grateful for the little bundle of joy with the blonde hair and the sky blue eyes. After what happened he was the reason that kept her going.
Rose was knocked down on her knees too many times to count, one more wouldn't force her to give up. She always rose back up stronger than ever. What if Dimitri had broke her heart? What if every single shred of feeling inside her was frozen? His love didn't matter to her anymore. So she did what she did best, she pushed everything on the back of her mind and went back to her work. Buried herself in mountains of work, keeping her mind occupied so it wouldn't wonder back to him.
No, she wouldn't do that to herself. She wouldn't let herself think of Dimitri even for a single moment. He was the one that walked out of her life. He was the one that gave up on them before they even had the chance to find out what they hand. "Who's auntie's little prince, huh?" She whispered softly and Robert gurgled happily munching on his new teething ring.
"You are going to spoil him." Sydney stated referring to the new toy her son sported, joining them on the floor with a bottle of milk. "Between his grandparents and you I think I'm gonna have a very bratty teenager to deal with in a few years!" She laughed softly as she picked her son up and presented him with the bottle. Robert did that cute grabby hands thing all babies do at the sight of food and made both his mother and aunt chuckle at him. Rose would admit it she wasn't a baby proofed person and liked to avoid them when she could but her nephew was different. He wasn't like other babies, he was special!
"You might as well get used to it cause it's not going to stop. He's loved, so toys and candy and all kinds of favours are going to be handed to him without a second thought." Rose informed her cousin in law and kissed the baby's head softly. "He's the only light to our darkness." Sydney looked at her for a long moment, eyes narrowing, calculating if she should say anything.
"Are you feeling alright, Rose?" She asked finally. She knew what had happened with Dimitri, Rose has told her everything. But with the baby around they weren't able to talk and it killed Syd that Rose went through this alone. Robert though has taken all her time, it wasn't until the last few weeks that they were able to settle into a nice, peaceful routine.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be alright?" Rose asked, her eyes never leaving the baby's tiny form. But Syd knew better, it wouldn't take long for Rose to go back to how she was when her parents died. Syd wouldn't allow that even if it was the last thing she'd do. "Where's that cousin of mine anyway?" She asked changing the subject.
"He has a meeting with some new people for the publishing house." Syd playing along, her eyes never leaving her friend. "Something about wanting a new team for the art department, I'm not sure." She shook her head and Rose hummed in approval.
"I'm worried." She said as she sat down beside Adrian on their bed. Her husband had a bad habit of bring his work in their bedroom which annoyed Sydney to no end and always made sure to let him know.
"About what?" His eyes met hers and Adrian pushed his reading glasses higher up his nose. Sydney tried to focus more on the problem at hand and less at the fact that her husband looked as fuckable as someone could be.
"About Rose." He reached over and smoothed the frowning lines on her forehead. "She's been working long hours again, she's moodier than before and from what Mia told me she hardly sleeps. I'm worried she's falling back to her old habits." Adrian understood what she was trying to say. It took them years to get Rose out of depression after her parents died.
"I see." He murmured looking back at the files in front of him. He was worried too to be honest, both his cousin and wife thought they kept him in the dark but he wasn't stupid. He knew about that Dimitri guy, what he was, what he did. Sadly he knew what he meant to Rose too. Adrian wasn't fond of the man and if he had his way he would be out of his cousin's life sooner but Rose was Rose and apparently loved the guy. He kind of hopped it was just a phase and she would outgrew her feelings but apparently that wasn't the case.
"That's all you have to say?" She bite out turning to face him fully, eyes burning with anger.
"Let me re phrase that." He said giving her a warm smile. "What I meant was that I see your worry about Rose and I'm already on it! Not that I'm happy about it, because I know you think I'm stupid and I had no idea what was going on but I did. And I'm trying to fix it!" His wife had the decency to look embarrassed.
"Oh!" She breathed, cheeks flushing red.
"Oh." He repeated raising an eyebrow. "Now come over here and give me a kiss." He pulled her across his lap and processed to show her exactly what lying to him got her into.
"You know biting everyone's heads off won't get you anywhere. We're trying to make them give us their money." Her eyes snapped up to meet Adrian's blue ones. "I want you to apologise to Jesse no matter how much of an asshole he was. I've been chasing after Zeklos Inc way too long to let you ruin it." Rose would have to admit that her behaviour wasn't the best back there. On any other day she would have said something witty and embarrassed Jesse instead of ripping him a new one but today wasn't that day. She was running on just three hours of sleep and frankly she wasn't in the mood to play by the rules.
"He got what he deserved and you know it." She hummed unaffected by the tone of his voice. Adrian knew very well that commands didn't work with her. He could boss around anyone but Rose. "But I'll take pity on you and send a muffin basket. Is that apologetic enough?" She smiled sweetly, too sweetly actually. Her fuck off looks were know for being both polite and fucking terrifying.
"Drop the act with me, will you?" He said placing a folder in front of her. "Sadly for you I have more important things to do than stress over Jesse. You're lucky the deal is already signed and he can't do anything about it."
"As if Ivan would pay any mind to him. We both know that he just feels sorry for the hopeless ass he has for a cousin." She took the file and flipped through it. "Eddie Castile? What's this?" She asked reading quickly over it.
"He's the head of the company I hired for the art department of the publishing house." He said eyeing her closely, usually she didn't look through the papers he gave her. After years of working together there's a certain level of trust between partners. Today he was kind of betting on that trust to get the job done.
"Yes, Syd said something about it the other day." She signed off the papers and handed them back to him. He relaxed, a little happy that she didn't caught up to anything. Adrian's speciality was damage control, meaning that when someone screwed things up he was the one to tide up the mess. In their case he had to solve Rose's problem without Rose actual knowing about it until it was time. "Are you sure about them, though?" She asked all business and no pleasure. "They are kind of new on the market."
"I've seen their work." He assured her. "I made sure to tie them to a contract before anyone else could. They are what I was looking for."
"I trust you." She nodded and went back to her work. Adrian stood there for a moment really looking at her. He didn't know what Dimitri actually did but he had brought back young Rose, happy Rose, his beloved cousin and not the shell of a person she used to be the last few years. After her parents died Rose threw herself into work and barely gave anyone the time of the day. He hated that, Adrian tried to tell her so many times but she wouldn't listen.
Until that guy came around and changed in a few months what they couldn't in years. Adrian swore that he would fix this even if it was the last thing he'd do. "Rose?" Her name slipped from his lips before he could stop it.
"Yes?" Her voice was cold, distant. She sounded like a robot.
"Nothing." He shook his head lightly and was out of the door in mere moments.
Next stop was Christian's office on the lower levels of the tower. Because that was the only thing you could call the second taller building in New York. Adrian would never understand why the TI team choose to work here. Honestly when they had moved in here two years ago he had offered Christian one of the big offices way up only to have his friend dissolve into laughter. Something about computer people working better in the dark, he wasn't sure.
"May I coming?" He asked knocking on the door lightly. A smirk ghosting over his face.
"Does me saying no makes any difference?" Christian grumbled not taking his eyes from his computer.
"Not really." Adrian shrugged and took a seat. "Is what I asked you done?" Part of damage control was also erasing evidence of things that shouldn't happen. As far as Adrian was concerned no one, and he meant no one, could erase something from data bases better than Christian. That was the reason they hired him the moment he stepped out of the college grounds.
"I'm just wrapping this up." His fingers running wildly over the keyboard. "Everything has been deleted. Bank accounts, on line profiles, pictures of him in places they shouldn't be. One of my best works if I say so myself." Adrian was sure of it but he wouldn't stroke Christian's ego more. "Are you sure about this, though?"
"I'm always sure about my moves. I love my cousin, you know that very well. I'd bring down the moon if that would make her happy." Christian nodded giving a soft sigh. Well, what they did was pretty damn close to that.
"Do I really need to be here?" She whined as Sydney dragged through the big hallways. She never really liked Adrian's family house, the dull walls, the heave fabrics, nothing here felt like home. She always felt like she was in a museum. Her mind traveled back to her home, the warm colours on the walls, her pink and purple bedroom that looked like it was pulled out of a fairytale; her mother's laugh at something silly her father had said. The smell of chocolate chip cookies coming from the kitchen every Sunday.
"It's not my company you know." They stopped outside the huge doors that led to the ball room. Why did they even have a ball room? "Some appearances have to be made, Rose. Adrian worked very hard for this, it would be selfish of you to not be here." For a moments guilt flashed over Rose's face as Syd fussed over her dress.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, head bowed down.
"Nothing to be sorry about." She said softly. "All I asked you was to be there for your cousin even if you didn't feel like going out." Syd pushed a strand of hair behind Rose's ear and kissed her forehead. Much the same way her mother used to do. Rose relished on the gentle touch for a second.
"Oh here you are!" Adrian caught up to them and pulled them along.
The party was every bit the boring affair Rose was sure it would be. She had bullshited her way out of at least three inappropriate propositions the last two hours and hadn't drink enough alcohol to feel remotely relaxed. All in all she just wanted for Adrian to start the presentation so she could excuse herself after it.
"I'm bored!" Lissa whined coming to stand beside her with a new round of drinks. "I'm so glad my Uncle didn't talk me into coming to work with you guys!"
"Well I wasn't! Suck it up, buttercup. You're stuck with me." Lissa laughed and threw an arm around Rose's shoulder. "Where's Christian, anyway. Shouldn't he be chasing after your skirts."
"Rose!" Lissa scowled playfully. "Adrian needs him, I don't know. You know I tend to tune out your cousin." That was just a tiny bit true, it was the reason they never worked out as a couple, much to Nathan's disappointment. Her mind stopped working for a moment as her eyes fell on a familiar face.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. Her condition had worsen the last two months. Everywhere she went Dimitri was there, she saw him at every turn she took on the company's hallways, in the elevators, on the stairs, always three steps ahead of her. Her doctor had said that it was merely her mind playing tricks with her but Rose wanted it gone. She wanted that big hole in her chest to not exist anymore, she wanted to delete him from her life but it was impossible.
Adrian's voice as he started his speech brought her out of her thoughts and she felt her friends pile around her. Her cousin thanked their guests, said a few charming jokes and moved on talking about the project. Rose downed her drink and took another one as her eyes fell on the side of the stage. Her breath hitched as her gaze fell on him. Because there was no way she was seeing things, the man a few feet away was clearly Dimitri. She felt her legs turn into jelly and she turned away whispering a soft apology.
Sydney's voice carried on behind her but she didn't stop moving. She needed to get out of here, she needed fresh air, she couldn't deal with this.
No, no, no, no.
A voice kept crying inside her head as the cool air of the night embraced her. For a moment she felt clarity, she felt like her old self. She was just a few steps away from her car, she could get out of here, back to her hotel, where she was safe. "Roza!" Her body froze against her wishes at the mention of the nickname. "Roza, wait!" Of course their first meeting after so long would be so dramatic. She took a deep breath and turned to face him.
"I hoped we wouldn't have to do this." She gritted through clenched teeth. She kind of wanted him to drop off of the face of earth and never show himself in front of her again.
"I hoped we would." He shot back and she couldn't help but take a good look of him as he stopped in front of her. Dressed in a black suit that hugged his body in all the right places he looked like he was pulled out of a magazine cover. Her heart skipped a few beats against her will. "I need to explain myself."
"You made it pretty clear, Comrade." She bite out, the pet name that once held so much affection now burned him. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let the fall.
"I left for your own good, Roza!"
"Did you, now?" She couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice as she took a step closer, bringing them face to face.
"I couldn't give you what you wanted back then, in that hotel room. You needed someone to support you, to be there for your the days you couldn't pull through and I? I wasn't capable of that! My work would never leave me be."
"And you thought the best idea was to leave a note and disappear just like that?" She hissed lowly.
"Yes, it seemed the right thing at that moment. I had to break free of that world, to make something new for me." He cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers. "Adrian found me a few weeks later and offered to help. I had enough money to start something new, something legal, something that would make me worthy of you."
"How did he..." She trailed off making him laugh.
"He's smarter than you give credit for. That business deal in there? Half of that company that he signed up is mine, my name is nowhere that can be recognised but I have a part on it." He smiled kissing her nose softly. Rose felt dizzy, all these information dumped on her like that. "Eddie is a very good friend that needed help, I had the money and I gave them. He agreed to make me partner and I agreed to stay out of his way."
"Now what?" She asked breathlessly as they stood pressed against each other.
"Whatever you want." He murmured and brought their lips together.
"I just hope you're not wrong." The older man took a ship from his whiskey as they looked down at the couple kissing.
"I'm never wrong." Adrain smirked cockily making Victor raise and eyebrow.
"I'll drink to that." He said and they bumped glasses.
~The End~
A/N: Drop me a review and let me know what you think!