Sighing softly, Darius merely shook his head, not sure whether to be grateful to Gareth and Calista for saving Rosalina or wanting to throttle them for being careless with their speech. "Just rest for now, Ro. I'll go and seek out the mage and ask him," he remarked before kissing her lightly guessing that Rosalina would not get any rest until he came back with news. "I will be back in a moment," he added before leaving the room and heading to over to Calista's room---guessing that Gareth would be with her.
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Sitting by Calista's bedside, Gareth was wide awake, not wanting to leave his woman alone in case she needed anything. Startled from his musings by a knock at the door, the mage rose and opened it to find Darius outside.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice impassive.
"Ro told me that she overhead you and Calista talking about different herbs so out of desperation took the nectar to try and kill the child," Darius remarked, his own tone impassive though there was an accusatory look in his eyes.
Growling slightly at the look, Gareth stepped outside and silently closed the door. "So you want to blame Calista and myself for this as well? Haven't you blamed my lady for enough already?" he challenged. "She re-injured herself trying to save your love!" he snarled. "Do not forget that you are a guest in her house and ever since YOU arrived she has been a prisoner in her home. She's already nervous around you, I won't have her feeling that she cannot speak without her having to look over her shoulder," he hissed, his hazel-green eyes flashing. "Why didn't you guard your woman better? Had you been with her, this fiasco never would have happened."
"You're right," Darius said finally, hanging his head. "I have behaved poorly toward you and your lady. I didn't come here to argue with you nor condemn Calista anymore. I need to know, Gareth. Is the child still alive?"
Sighing softly, Gareth nodded. "I felt the life force still in her as I left the room," he remarked. "I am sorry," he replied gently.
Nodding wordlessly, Darius walked back to the room he shared with Rosalina, knowing that this news would be devastating for her.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina stayed curled up on the bed, she twisted the sheets, biting her lip, and trying to avoid the part that had the blood. She turned to the door as Darius returned. Her face became full of hope. "Did it work? Is the thing gone?" she asked.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Seeing her face filled with such hope, Darius could only avert his gaze, knowing that the news he had to share would crush her. Walking back over to the bed, he took her in his arms again before replying. "I am sorry," he whispered. "But it still lives," he whispered as he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
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Opening the door to her room, Gareth found Calista starting to stir. "Gareth?" she murmured, calling out for him those her eyes were still closed. Sitting on the bed, the mage gently lifted the semi-conscious woman into his arms. "I'm here, dear maiden," he whispered before kissing her cheek gently. Feeling his arms about her, a sweet smile spread across Calista's lips before her lashes slowly fluttered open.
"You should be resting," Gareth told her gently, still seeing that she was worn. "You have not been asleep long," he added as she gave him a slightly sleepy smile.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina felt cold. "i should have made more." She said, like a woman claiming she should add more to soup. Like it was fact. "If I gathered more, and prepared more. Then it would have worked." She said, not looking at anything.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"NO!" Darius told her a bit sharper than he intended and he quickly lowered his voice. "No," he whispered as he pulled her closer to him and gently rubbed his hand along her back. "If you took more, Rosalina, it would have been the death of you. And that my dear, would be far worse than all the pain the world could possibly inflict," he added in the same soft tone. "Drinking the nectar nearly killed you, Ro. And I can't let that happen again. I can't live through that again," he added softly before kissing her cheek.
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Chuckling softly, Calista closed her eyes a brief moment before opening them again. "I heard raised voices..." she whispered and Gareth winced slightly knowing that his argument with Darius awoke her.
"I'm sorry, love. Darius and I just seem unable to co-exist peacefully with one another," he remarked ruefully.
"What happened?" Calista asked a bit concerned.
"Nothing of significance, my dear. Just rest," Gareth soothed as he gently ran his hand upon and down her arm.
"Gareth, I want to know what happened. Does this involve Rosalina?" she asked softly to which the mage did not want to reply. "Gareth! What is it?" she asked, her voice rising as a hint of fear skipped across her crystal blue eyes. "Tell me!" she begged, feeling as if her throat would close up on her.
"Rosalina overheard our game over the herbs..." Gareth began but stopped as he noticed Calista's face growing pale.
"You mean she nearly bled to death because she overheard what I said and drank the nectar?" Calista choked out, her eyes filled with horror as she struggled to breathe at the news, the magnitude of what nearly happened crashing down upon her.
"Shh, love. Relax, dear maiden," Gareth remarked as he pulled her against him and gently began to rub her back.
"She could have died because of me..." Calista murmured, a single tear rolling down her pallid cheek.
"This is not your fault, Lovely one. You could not have known that she was listening to us. You thought she was with Darius, remember?" he added softly as he tenderly rubbed the small of her back and kissed the top of her head.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina shook her head violently. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I don't want it. I want it gone." She tried to get out of Darius's hold. She would find more if she had too. She had to rid her body of the thing.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Holding her tightly, Darius refused to let Rosalina go, knowing she would harm herself if she did. "I am sorry, Ro. I can understand that you don't want this child, but I cannot, nor will I risk losing you again."
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Just take deep, slow breaths, Rose," Gareth whispered in Calista's ear as her breathing continued to come in short, shallow gasps. "Rosalina is fine thanks to the medicinal brew you created," he whispered gently. Gareth loved her dearly for her gentle heart, but while he thought her compassion was one of her greatest strengths, it many times led to her undoing as she often blamed herself when others were hurt and she was just remotely involved. Moreover, this constant self-blame was beginning to grate on his nerves. He loved her and hated to see her suffer so needlessly.
"No...you don't understand..." she panted. "If she didn't hear me, she wouldn't have known what nectar to drink..." she replied as she she began to tremble as a cold sweat seeped through her body, her breaths still coming in labored gasps.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina broke down. "Please, please, help me get rid of it. Please Darius. Beat my stomach if you ahve to, just get rid of this thing." she begged, seeing the life inside her like a parasite.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"I can't hurt you, Ro. I'm sorry..." Darius whispered, not having the heart to strike her. "If I hit you and cause you to bleed, I will be putting your life at risk and that is a risk that I am unwilling to take," he added softly.
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"Shh," Gareth soothed, still rubbing the small of her back. "Just breathe, love. This stress is not good for you," he whispered. Feeling her start to shake, Gareth only wrapped his arms about her tighter, worry starting to fill his eyes.
Panting heavily, Calista felt herself grow lighted-headed as an inexplicable fear wormed its way throughout her entire being. A sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead and her palms grew moist and clammy. "Gareth...what's happening to me?" she gasped. "I-I can't breathe..." she managed to choke out as she gave a raspy gasp.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina started crying all over again. "Please. please Darius. I don't want it." she begged him.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"I'm sorry, Ro," Darius whispered softly, feeling her his constrict at her sorrow. "I will do almost anything for you, but I cannot do this. I cannot raise my hand against you, knowing that I could severely injure you or kill you," he added softly as he held her close.
------------------------------------------------------------
Feeling a fear seep into his heart, Gareth gently pulled back from Calista so that she could look into his eyes. Gently cupping her face between his hands, Gareth knew that he had to find some means to calm her down. "Look at me, my dear. Breathe with me, all right?" he whispered. Nodding between his hands, Calista gazed up at him with fear in her eyes, not understanding what was happening to her. Her heart was beating so quickly that she felt it would burst from her chest and her body felt cold all over. Slowly inhaling, Gareth nodded for her to do the same and Calista followed him, inhaling and exhaling when he did. He repeated the cycle several more times before pausing to coach her. Gently removing his hands from her face, he pulled her into his arms once again. "Now, my love, I just want to relax and breathe," he whispered soothingly as she continued to draw in deep breaths. "Close your eyes and think on pleasant sensations. Stop your negative thoughts and just relax," he whispered to her as she closed her eyes and he rubbed her back again.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina cried hard. She didn't want the child. She didn't want to see the face of the father on it. she wanted Darius's child. "Why, why can't I have yours." she cried. "Why his."

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"We can still start a family together Ro. Just because this one is here doesn't mean that we cannot have children either," Darius whispered as he gently kissed the top of her head. He was not happy about this situation either, but he did not want Rosalina to hurt herself anymore. Moreover, he did not want to hurt her either.
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After several long minutes passed, Calista finally calmed down. Opening her eyes, she turned her head to gaze up at Gareth. "Thank you," she whispered as she gave the mage a loving smile.
Giving her a soft smile in acknowledgement, Gareth gently pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
"You kissing and holding me were one of the few sensations I dwelt upon to feel at peace," Calista whispered with a gentle smile, an innocent glow in her eyes.
Chuckling at her comment, Gareth just shook his head at the innocence of her statement. "Well, I will kiss and hold you anytime you wish," he added with a gentle smile.
"You may wish to amend that statement, dear mage, since I am going to be wishing that often," she added with a smirk and giggle.
"Then I shall be more than delighted to oblige you," Gareth replied before leaning forward and kissing her lightly on the lips.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalin didn't say anything. She didn't know what to do anymore. "But what if it lookes like him. How could I look at it, love it?"

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Don't worry about it for now. Right now, you just need to rest and heal," Darius whispered. "You never know, Ro. The child may look nothing like its father," he remarked. Yet Darius did not voice what he was thinking. He did not know if he would ever be able to grow to the love the child, knowing that it was the seed of another.
------------------------------------------------------------
Returning Gareth's kiss with a gentle one of her own, Calista tenderly touched his face as she did so. Finally, pulling back, she just rested her head against him as he wrapped his arms around her. "What happened earlier?" she asked him. "I don't ever recall feeling such overwhelming fear and panic before," she remarked.
"It was probably your body's reaction to all the stress you have been under recently---especially emotionally," he remarked gently. "So I am going to do all in my power to be sure that you just relax and rest. No more stress," he whispered before leaning down to kiss her cheek.
"Thank you," Calista whispered as she smiled up at him. "You truly are a godsend," she added in the same gentle tone.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded, biting her lip, and closed her eyes falling asleep.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)