Hello hello! I'm sorry for the late update, I honestly could not find time to sit down a write until last night. I stayed up until 1 a.m.!

Thank you too TheLittleSubmissive for reviewing this first, you're a gem as always!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Rose, can you slow down please?"

Rose tosses a look over her shoulder as she pushes the stroller, but her good mood is overpowering any type of instruction. After six weeks, she finally got the green light to go back to the gym, and she and Toby passed all their examinations with flying colours.

"I can't. I'm so excited!"

I chuckle and jog to keep up with her, coming up beside her and wrapping my arm around her waist to physically make her slow down. She's practically skipping down the street.

"I know, I can tell," I say into her and press a small kiss to her head. I have to say I miss having Rose in the gym with me, and there are other things I've missed since Rose progressed further into her pregnancy.

"I think I'm going to head in tomorrow morning to take my membership off hold and to look into having Toby go into the care center while I'm there. I honestly feel like I have a huge ball of energy inside of me and I can't wait to get it out!" Rose exclaims as we come to a stop at the crosswalk. I shake my head and scan the crowded street. It's busy for the weekend and the streets have been bustling with tourists and locals. I frown as I scan through the crowd again, thinking I saw someone I recognize but shake it off as someone just looking similar.

We walk back to the car and set Toby's car seat into the holder before packing away the stroller. "Are you going to call Lissa and let her know? She's been antsy about hearing of your recovery."

Rose sighs with a shrug. Not the response I was expecting. I turn more towards her in the driver's seat and she catches my motion.

"I mean, yeah I'll tell her, but it's not on the top of my list right now. I may be civil with her, but I haven't forgiven her yet," Rose says as she looks to me, but quickly turns around to check that Toby is still sleeping in his seat.

I ponder over the way the two interacted the weekend that Lissa and Christian were here, and now that I think about it, Rose was distant with Lissa while still being polite.

"I mean, she did treat me like garbage. She can't go all Princess on me one minute and expect me to pretend that she didn't hurt me. She's going to need to grovel a little, Comrade."

"Well, thank God!"

Rose looks slightly startled by my statement, but I honestly am thrilled to hear what she said.

"I was worried that you were going to disregard everything that she did to you, to us. I watched you suffer in pain for nine months over what she did. You deserve better than that, and I was concerned that you would fall back into the pattern of just forgiving her. I know that she was your best friend and a Royal, but she has taken your friendship for granted so many times, Roza. When we were back at the academy, I was shocked that you put up and accepted half the shit she threw at you. You are worth more than that," I explain, but it comes out all in one breath. I look back to Rose as we turn off the main street to see her blank face.

Crap. I hope I didn't just put my foot in my mouth.

And then she starts laughing.

"I don't think I've ever heard you say so much in one sentence!" she laughs, the words barely making it through her mirth. I chuckle lightly with her, glad to know that I didn't upset her with my honesty.

Rose finally calms down and loops her arms around mine as my hand rests on her leg, and she rests her head on my shoulder. "I'm glad someone else thinks I'm more than just a lowly Dhampir."

I turn my head enough to drop a kiss on the top of her head. She will never be second best in my mind.

My eyelids snap open at the sound of the stroller hitting the door jam.

"Crap! Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you!" Rose whispers as she rights the stroller. I wave her off and let my eyes fall shut again, my hands holding Toby a little closer to me. He is so warm and soft, and I could spend all day with my face pressed in his wispy curls. Rose comes closer and presses a kiss to my lips as she pulls him from my arms, making me peel my eyes open. I got home from my shift only to get stuck on a call from court until sunrise. Then Toby was up, and I brought him out here.

I let my eyes rake over my wife as she sets Toby into the stroller, and I groan quietly under my breath. Rose may think she isn't as attractive as she was before she had our son, but I think she looks fantastic! Clad in a pair of grey and green workout leggings, a grey workout tank and her black sports bra, she is hot, and I really would rather other men not look at her while she's working out.

I pull myself up from the couch and go to her, slipping my hands to her hips and pulling her back to me. She lets out a small laugh when I press my lips to her neck and follow it with a small nip. "If we put Toby down, I can give an even better workout," I whisper, squeezing her hips gently.

Rose wiggles in my grasp to turn in my arms, looping her arms around my neck. "That sounds tempting, but you look like you're going to fall asleep on your feet," she says as she pecks my cheek and steps out of my arms. I chuckle and hand her her duffle bag before ducking down to kiss my son's head.

"Let me know when you leave the gym?" I ask.

Rose nods and caresses my cheek affectionately. "Of course. Now go to sleep! I expect to do things with you when I get back. It's the first night off you've had all week!"

I hum and press my lips to hers, dragging it out as long as I can before Toby shrieks from his place. Rose pulls away to put his soother back into his mouth. "Alright, I am going to head out. I love you!" Rose says as she slings her bag over her shoulder and removes the brake on the stroller. I smile and ghost my fingers off her cheek before moving out of the way.

Once they have left, I drag myself to our bedroom and plop down on the bed, falling asleep within minutes.

I switch the light off and carefully move from the bedroom to the bathroom, bringing the monitor with me as I go. Toby is finally asleep after fighting it for the last two hours, and I plan to make use of the very small window I have.

I turn the volume to the highest setting and set it along the shelf beside the shower and strip. Dropping my clothes in a heap next to Rose's, I open the shower door and slip in behind her. I take a moment to fully appreciate the beauty before me.

Long dark curls that cascade down her back, slim and strong arms, soft but toned back and shoulders that flow to a slim waist, and end at full hips. She is perfection in my mind, regardless of the few stretch marks that mar her skin in silver flashes, or the looser skin on her stomach. She produced a life, and I find the small imperfections the most beautiful things about her. They make her human, and they make her that much more special to me.

I wrap my arms around her waist and bring myself closer to her, her slick skin meeting my dry skin and I tilt my head down to brush my lips over her shoulder.

She smells so good. She hates rose-scented things, but I've come to realize she is a sucker for peonies. Hence the new body wash that smells so strongly of peonies.

Rose moans quietly and pushes herself back into me, shifting her weight to her other foot as one hand comes back to tangle into my hair.

"That feels nice," Rose says with a sigh. I smile against her skin and straighten up, her hand falling from my hair. I shift the two of us so that we are both under the hot spray and pull her flush to me, cupping her face in my hands. Rose smiles and closes her eyes as she leans into my touch, her small hands ghosting my sides.

"I love you, Dimitri," Rose says as she leans her body against mine. I move my hands down and wrap my arms around her.

"I love you too."

Rose stretches up on the balls of her feet as her hands slide up my stomach and chest to link around my neck, tugging me down to her lips again. I steady her as she slips and she giggles against my lips, her breath washing over me.

"Is Toby asleep?"

I nod my head as I kiss her neck, holding her tighter as she squirms. The only thing we need is for her to slip and hurt herself. I push her back slightly to pin her between myself and the wall, preventing her from falling as I let my hands wander. I drag my fingers from her collarbone to the side of her breasts, down to her waist as I catch her lips again, kneading her soft skin. Rose stiffens under my touch and pulls her lips from mine, a small flush gracing her cheeks. She gives me a small smile before biting her lip.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. I move my hands back up to cup her cheeks and brush my thumbs over the heated skin.

"You have no reason to apologize," I say, kissing her forehead.

Rose sighs. "I'm just nervous," she says.

I pull away from her enough to not make her feel panicked and pick up the bottle of shampoo, pouring some into my hand and lathering it into her hair.

"Roza, if you aren't ready yet, then that is perfectly acceptable. We don't need sex to be intimate. Doing this," I say, massaging her scalp, "is enough. Being close to you is enough."

The thing about intimacy is that most people believe it means only sex, but intimacy is more than that. It is affection. Intimacy is feeling safe enough to be vulnerable with someone.

Rose gives me a small nod and I finish washing her hair before applying conditioner. I quickly wash my hair while letting her conditioner sit, and Rose gently soaps my chest, her fingers soft and gentle. I catch her hand and press a kiss to her fingers, pulling a smile to her lips.

Our bubble of intimacy is popped at the squabble over the monitor, and I press my lips to Rose's head. "I'll get him," I say, given that I am finished with the shower and step out, wrapping a towel around my waist before going back into the bedroom.

I scoop Toby up and check his diaper but find him clean and dry. I shift him in my grasp and head out to the kitchen for a bottle, but he doesn't want that either. I resort to resting him against my chest and rock from side to side, making soothing noises as I walk through the house, patting his bottom as I gently bounce him in my arms.

Making full circle to our bedroom, I find Rose in bed, a tired smile on her lips. I look down to find Toby fast asleep, his cheek pressed against my collarbone as small breaths flutter from him. I kiss the top of his head and settle him back into the bassinette before putting on pants and climbing in next to her.

Rose rolls towards me the moment I'm settled in and I wrap my arms around her, getting into the familiar position we take every night. Our small cocoon of safety.

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

I look down at Rose with a bewildered expression. Do I think she's pretty? She's gorgeous.

I shift so that I am laying down right next to her, meeting her eyes. "Roza, you are more than pretty. You are breathtaking. How would you ask that?"

Rose shakes her head and rolls onto her back, swallowing loudly. I slide my hand over her stomach, not far enough down to rest on her stomach, but just under her chest. Rose places her hand on top of mine and strokes it softly, turning her head back to mine.

"I kind of let myself go," she says so quietly that it's just above a whisper. I sigh and pull her closer to me, resting my head against hers, brushing my lips against her head.

"You had a baby. You didn't let yourself go," I placate, shifting to lean over her, reaching up to brush the lone tear at the corner of her eye. Rose frowns and leans into my hand but I can see the struggle in her eyes. She has spent the majority of her life in top shape and now that she isn't, I can see the struggle. I can see the internal conflict about her body image. It hurts to know that she is dealing with this and there isn't much I can do but be beside her.

"I'm sorry, I'm being silly," Rose says but I shake my head and pull her closer.

"You aren't being silly, you're expressing your feelings. You're allowed to feel what you want."

Rose nods her head and bites down on her lip, but an idea catches me off guard and I tug on her hand, getting out of bed. Rose furrows her brows at me but follows me anyways, tugging her large t-shirt down as she crawls out of bed. I lead her back into the bathroom and flick the lights on, placing her to stand in front of the mirror.

Rose gives me a look as I pull the back of her t-shirt so it fits snugger around her and press a kiss to her cheek.

"You know what I see when I look at you?"

Rose shrugs a little before looking down at her toes and then back up to me.

"I see a beautiful woman with big brown eyes and curly brown hair. I see a woman who has been to hell and back in the name of being a Guardian, a woman who has carried weight on her shoulders for so long. I see someone who smiles when it rains in the morning, and you have the most beautiful smile. Seeing it makes my whole day. I see a woman who carried my child, who complained about swollen ankles and back pain, but made pregnancy look so good. I see a woman who holds my heart, and I see a woman who is strong. Beauty is not just your physical appearance; you have a beautiful soul. But on the outside, Roza, you are a showstopper. You draw the attention of everyone when you walk into the room. You're worried because you don't have a tight stomach and have a few extra pounds, but you are breathtaking! I think you are the most breathtaking person I've ever seen, and you always will be."

Rose gives me a small smile in the mirror before spinning around and wrapping her arms around my waist. "Thank you," she whispers against my chest. I tuck my head down and press my lips to her hair, squeezing her tight to my chest.

"Come on, it's my only night off this week, and I want to spend it with you in my arms."

Rose nods her head and gives me a squeeze before heading back into bed and I join her, rolling onto my side and holding her close to me.

I know a lot of you felt that Rose forgave Lissa way too easily, and wanted to rectify that she didn't and probably won't for a few more chapters.

This chapter hits a little close to home with Rose's struggle. I may not have had a child, but I spent my whole life being very thin and toned from my years of dance and sports, only to put on 50lbs of weight in under three months due to a medication reaction. It was a struggle for me to get to a point where I felt good in my own skin, and the little speech Dimitri gives is similar to one that my boyfriend gave me a few months back, just tweaked to match a pregnancy instead.

My heart goes out to everyone who struggles with their own self-image, but you are all beautiful regardless of what the media portrays as beauty.