Blackout- Breathe Carolina, Keep Your Head Up- Andy Grammer

Eighteen Reviews! THANKSS! LETS GO FOR 20!

Chapter 20

I shut the door, which woke up Lucy, which woke him up.

"Rose!" He exclaimed when he saw me. "Hi!"

"Hey." I said, staring at the child that had taken my place in the bed.

"Nancy went out with friends last night- she needed me to watch Lucy. I guess she never came back to get her." He ran his hands through his hair, and I saw the relief in his eyes when he saw me.

"I wanted to talk, about what happened, but we need to deal with her first." I said, going to the bed and scooping up the toddler. She had drool all over her face, so I took her to the bathroom and washed her face with a wet washcloth and I brushed out her honey blondesilky hair with my hairbrush.

"Morning, Lucy." I said to her, and she waved into the mirror.

"Rose." She said, looking up at me.

"Yes." I said, looking down at her, and recognizing the green eyes. She was moroi, just like Adrian and Nancy, and she was still young enough that she smiled while showing the tiny fangs.

"Are you daddy's guardian?" She asked, rather articulate for a 4 year old.

"No." I said, "I'm-" I hesitated because I didn't know.

Luckily Adrian walked in and saved me. "Daddy loves her very much." He said. He grabbed his toothbrush and began to brush his teeth. "There's a day care that we can drop her off at and then we can go get coffee." I nodded.

Lucy looked at me. "Do you love daddy too?" She asked, not helping my situation one bit but so curious it was adorable.

"Yes." I whispered in her ear, and she clapped, grinning. I found a backpack with a bunch of her clothes in it, and as Adrian dressed, I put her in a cute pair of jeans and a red shirt- a real Rose Hathaway outfit. I pulled her hair into a braid and balanced her on my hip as Adrian locked up after himself.

"You know what?" I said, stopping at Lissa's door. "Lissa will watch her for a few minutes." I let myself in and found her typing on her laptop at her desk. "Hey Liss." I said. "Will you watch Lucy for a while?" She looked up at me, shock all over her face (her jaw even dropped slightly), but she was smart and figured out whose kid this was, and she gladly said she would watch her. I set her on the couch and turned on some kids TV show for her to watch and Adrian and I set out for the coffee shop. I got a water, and we sat at a table in the back.

"I am so sorry." He started, staring at me over his coffee cup. "I should have told you- it's just that Lucy is a part of my past that I don't like revisiting- that's no excuse- I know, but it's important that you know that she doesn't change anything between you and me- I still love you."

"I love you too Adrian, but I'm hurt you didn't tell me this and that you didn't trust me enough to know a major part of your life- we were going to get married, and I couldn't even know about you daughter?"

"It's not that I didn't trust you- but it was one of those things my parents don't even know. Only Nancy knows that I'm her father- and things between us are completely over- this was five years ago that we were together. I left her before I knew she was pregnant and she only told me two years ago that Lucy exists. I've sent them money, and they've been fine, but I have never told anyone, Rose. Please, I need you to come back to me." This was the Adrian that only I knew. Lots of other people knew him as the party boy, the alcoholic, but he had only shown me this other side of him that conflicted about right and wrong, and was far deeper than anyone else had seen from him.

It was that that made me forgive him. That confession showed me that even though we were going to go through some really hard things, but he, and Lissa were the only two who knew me, and I was the only one who really knew Adrian. "You still have that ring?" I asked him, and the shock on his face was almost funny. "Hand it over." I said, holding out my hand. He fished around in his pocket and slid it back on my finger, a full out grin on his face.

"Thank you." He said.

"No need. I'm sorry I overreacted."

"No- you didn't."

"Yeah- I did."

He smirked, threw out his coffee cup, and held out his hand. I took it, and we walked back to the queen's apartments. Technically, it was my shift, so I owed Eli big time for covering for me. Just as we walked in, Christian emerged from the bedroom. He stared at Lucy, with Lissa obliviously typing on her computer, sitting next to Lucy on the couch. Lissa had somehow mamaged to get her apple juice and some cheerios, and she sat happily watching the same show that had been on for her earlier.

"Who's kid is that?" He asked, still staring.

"Adrian's." Lissa said, not even looking up from the computer screen, as if everyone in the world knew there was a tiny Ivashkov.

Apparently, I was now Lucy's favorite person, because she saw me, squealed, and ran over to me, hugging my legs. "Rose is back!" She said happily. I pulled her up into my arms.

"Hey Luce." I handed her off to Adrian. "Do we know when Nancy can come pick her up?" I asked tentatively, since this woman was still a new factor to our relationship.

Christian was still standing there, dumbfounded.

"What's wrong, fire boy?" I asked. "Never seen a four year old before?"

He seemed to regain composure, but still didn't say anything. Adrian answered my question. "I haven't heard from her, and Eddie was supposed to be looking for her."

"Speak of the devil." I said as he came in.

Eddie didn't look happy. Maybe he didn't like running errands, or maybe it was the bad news he brought. "She left court last night and told the guardian on duty she had no intention of returning."

Adrian and I just stared at each other. He looked at me like I would be mad and do what I had done to him two days ago. "Did you know?" I asked.

"She said she was catching up with friends and left Lucy with me, so no."

He was going to need me. "Looks like there's a new addition to our soon-to-be family." I said, taking Lucy back from Adrian, who had been holding her like he had never held a toddler before. It was still early, and Adrian had nothing to do today, so he decided to hang out with us until Lissa's meeting with the party planner for the first big ball she was having as queen. Each new ruler threw an old style ball at the beginning of their reign, and this one was sure to be the best yet. After all, Lissa was the best party planner I knew.

Adrian, Christian, and I ended up watching the Wiggles with Lucy while Lissa typed up some royal plans or whatever she was doing on her laptop. I didn't know what she was doing, but it required a lot of typing and all of her concentration.

"Daddy?" Lucy asked after two episodes. "When is mommy coming back?"

"I don't know Luce." He said, fingering my hair. He was sitting with his arm around, I leaned on him, and Lucy sat in his lap. "Would you like to stay with me and Rose for a while?"

She smiled the cutest smile and nodded.

"We're going to need a bigger room." I said.

Adrian nodded. "I'll get on it."

In a matter of three days, my world had turned upside down, righted itself, and then spun wildly out of control again. I was now taking care of a kid. A child was in our protection. Adrian could watch her most of the time, but Adrian and I would have to change our lifestyle a lot.

"No more smoking for Adrian." I said, smirking. "And no more excessive drinking." I leaned closer to his ear, and whispered "And way less sex for you Adrian."

I kissed his neck, and he groaned. "Lucy, what have you done to me?"

OK! THANKS FOR THE 18 REVIEWS! WE'RE GONNA GO FOR 20! IM SUPER HAPPY AND I'M UPDATING FAST! WANT THIS TO CONTINUE? PRESS THE BUTTON AND WRITE YOUR OPINION!