Black Rose

Chapter Twenty Six

Rosalie's POV

I was huge. I felt ginormous and I was only 6 months along. I slept and ate all the time. Of course my charming fiance lived up to his namesake and made tons of jokes. Of course, after the time I cried he eased up and came home with a dozen purple roses and chocolates. I spend a lot of time in the nursery. We painted it together (with the safe paint of course). I look fondly at the cribs remembering the day Joker and Johnny had a competition racing to see who can build it the fastest. Johnny won, but that night I woke up to see Mr. J rebuilding the one Johnny did wanting to make sure it was done right. It made my heart swell.

We sleep with three fans in the bedroom now because I am a freaking furnace. I love the little ones but man are they making me miserable. I don't have a 'glow', I am just sweaty. Plus I am horny like all the freaking time and IF I can talk J into sex, it is so gentle and just not what I am craving. I am so frustrated, but every time  they kick or move, or when I see the ultrasound of them, my heart is so full.

Mr. J has been doing most of his work at home and he seems edgier and edgier as we get closer to the due date. I think something is going on with work too but when I ask he closes up. I know he will come to me when he is ready. I sigh and stare at my ring. It is a beautiful diamond and shaped in the diamond shape, surrounded by amethyst, all of it set in platinum. He had it for me the next day but I never saw him leave the house and it fit perfectly, making me think he was planning proposing for awhile. He denies it and claims being spontaneous but I know him too well; he is a total romantic when it comes to me.

I was laying in bed and reading one of the baby books when J came in and started undressing. He looked stressed and exhausted. I knew better to ask though. It was 7am and he was just now finishing and I had been awake because the babies decided to wrestle in my stomach. J climbed into bed wearing just his boxers and put his head on my belly.

"How are my little ones today? Keeping mommy up, I see." They get even more wound up at the sound of his voice causing me to laugh. Mr. J looked at me curiously and I told him.

"They get excited to hear your voice and the move around more. I feel like they are doing cartwheels and somersaults." His smile got so huge when I said that and looked at my belly with awe and love. He was going to be a great dad.

"Well good, hopefully one flips for you." We found out one was breech which is not uncommon at all especially with twins but he had been freaking out when he looked up complications with a breech birth. That was the day we saw on the ultrasound by mistake that one was definitely a boy, but since they are fraternal twins, the other twin is unknown.

"J, sweetie, can we talk about names?" I ask him. Anytime I brought it up he would just sigh and tell me to decide. I gave him my best puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, tell me what you like." He sighed.

"Well for a girl; Estelle, Aradia, and Foster. For a boy; Atlas, Finn, and Archer." I listed them off. He thought about it for a minute.

"Baby, I like them all." making me groan. I was frustrated and he could tell. "How about this, when we see them we will decide from the list we have." I liked that idea, but then we had another dilemma.

"I have no idea for middle names." I sighed.

"How about our names for middle names?" He suggested causing me to laugh.

"Joker for a middle name? Haha that would be interesting. Although, J or Jay, wouldn't be bad." I said thoughtfully.

"Hey at least it would be unique! Rose is common." He stuck his tongue out. He was in a good mood and it was contagious. He had been particularly stressed the past few days and it was good to see him smile.

"Okay now for the tricky part. Should their last name be Vassalio or Blake?" He looked at me confused.

"Shouldn't they have my last name?" I could hear my heartbeat whooshing in my ears. I didn't know his last name. He never told me. I figured when we married it would stay the same. No, this is just a joke. Ha ha, he is going to tell me his first name is 'The' and last name 'Joker'. I play into his game.

"Ha ha and what is that name?" I wait for the punchline.

"Napier." My heart drops and my face loses color. Images come flooding back. No. No. No, that can't be. This is the sickest joke of all time.

"What's your first name?" I barely can even whisper. He looks at me confused.

"Jack" he says it as if it was nothing. To anyone else it may be. I get up and start dressing faster than any pregnant lady could. He gets up freaking out. "What is going on, Rosie? Is it the babies?"

"We need to go to Bludhaven RIGHT NOW." I am panicking. I need to make sure. The ECT fucked with me so badly that my memories are scrambled eggs. This has to be some kind of joke.

"No, you can't go anywhere especially Bludhaven, your family is there." He says reluctantly. This is new news. He didn't tell me but I can't even bring myself to be mad.

"Fine." I open my phone and I am calling Johnny.

"Rosalie?" He sounds alert and panicky. "Is it the baby?"

"No, but I need a favor, a huge one. In Bludhaven, I need you to go to First National Bank on Main street, ask for box 7423. They will ask for a PIN, tell them 2507. Please don't open it and bring it straight here." I can here him writing it down.

"Sure, when do you need it by?" He asks.

"Johnny, I needed it here months ago, but as soon as possible would be nice." The urgency is bleeding through my voice.

"Hey, it's okay. I am on my way now. You will have it within three hours." I hung up and focused on deep breathing. J is looking confused, frustrated, and angry. I can't even look at his face.

    "Rosalie, Rosie! Look at me." His hands are grabbing my face and I look at his eyes, when I do they just fill with tears. I can't do this, I can't handle this.

    "Jack..." my vision is fading and everything is muffled. His arms are gently but firmly around me.

    "Baby! Baby! Stay with me. Talk to me." all anger is gone and replaced with worry, my knees give out and I fight for my eyes to stay open.

    "Your eyes are so pretty." I say dreamily. "I hope they have your eyes."

    "If they are so pretty, you will keep yours open and staring at them, OK?" He pleads. He is on the phone but his eyes never leave mine. I can't hear what he is saying. I can't keep them open, I'm letting him down. I watch his eyes get more and more worried and desperate.

    Then everything goes black.