TIME WARP: Looking for Angels (V.R.)

[Roselyn Veeder]

Time - Summer 2019
Place - Romanov House

Rose shifted her weight in the chair at the table, putting her pencil up to her mouth as the numbers started to blur. The chair creaked in protest and really she was looking for a distraction right now. She hurt, pretty much all over but especially her legs and feet. She couldn't sit too long in this chair.... And like a sweet answer from heaven there was the sound of footsteps, well the sound of someone bounding down the steps and running right her way. She turned her head around and smiled at Ivan, whom right now was carrying a large plastic airplane. "Ivan, slow down honey!" She could just see him getting the toe of his shoe caught on the rug.

He was a beautiful child, with dark brown hair and blue grey eyes. His complexion was pale and although he wasn't extremely tall it seems that he would take after his father. She smiled looking at him as he slowed down just a bit. "Can I go outside mom?" he asked as he hopped in front of her. She pressed her lips together, giving a glance to the glass door that lead out to a nice fenced in yard. There was a wooden play fort and a swing set centered in it, a place her son often played during the summer. "Yes, but you have to promise me you'll stay right here where I can see you. Leave the door open just a bit so I can holler at you, okay?" He started to bound off but almost as if one foot was bolted down he swung back around to see his mother, "Okay, mama." She beamed with pride still when she heard the word, after four years you would think it would lose that effect. She made a motion for him to lean into her and she gave her son a quick kiss and hug. He turned back to gallop to the door, "Daddy'll be home soon!" Rose called as he carefully closed the door slowly behind him, leaving it open a couple of inches.

She shifted her weight in her seat, giving a slight groan. Almost as if in protest to her movements there was a sharp kick in her stomach and she put her hand over that spot. She took in a deep breath, wondering if she could really make it another month with these two girls. It seemed that God did indeed want to bless Rose, James just wasn't the man He had wanted her to marry, nor could she keep her old job using her powers to heal people while trying to carry a child. Sure she'd probably return when the children went to school, or perhaps she could be a school nurse. She didn't have to work, Vincent brought in more than enough money to support the family but she still wanted to do her part.

She glanced around the kitchen, the fridge covered in all sorts of paintings - traced hands, tigers, dinosaurs, you name it. She smiled, leaning her head down to rest on her hand as she propped it up on the table. Ivan was outside running around the yard and holding the airplane up like it was flying. She watched him for a while wishing she felt good enough to get up and play with him. When the girls came she would really have her hands full.

Their home had a much different atmosphere than when Vincent first met her. Family pictures were in every room, and even some before Ivan came along. She still kept their wedding pictures up, her face showing how happy she was. She was glad that her parents eventually came around and accepted all the changes in her life. Perhaps it was because they came to realize their daughter was happy and she was living her life with or without their approval. Her father had handled it much better, her mother had harassed her for a good while about getting back together with James when she found out about Vincent. But all that was over now and she wanted their children to know their grandparents. She wanted to stop dwelling on the past and move forward.

She pushed her work aside and pulled a black leather bible closer to her. She read for a few minutes, keeping an eye out on her son. She tried to make time for this every day, and she tried to make sure to pray at least once in the mornings and once at night. She had finished up reading the book of Hebrews again and closed it, her hand resting on it as she watched Ivan in deep thought. So much that she didn't hear the car pull into the drive way or the door open....

[Vincent Romanov]

Many things had changed in eight years for both Vincent and Rose. When they both had first met, neither one of them were really enjoying the lives they were living. Sure, they might have looked like they were happy, but looks were very deceiving. From their very first date, Vincent and Rose began to change. It seemed that there really was someone for everyone and sometimes it just took a while to find that person. Now, Vincent had the family he always wanted and a life which was totally worth getting up for in the morning.

The jeep which Vincent once owned was now gone and traded in for a larger SUV to better accommodate the family life. Rose had a car of her own as it just made things easier. Having only one car put too much strain on their professional jobs, even even Rose was working from home almost all the time now. She had taken a sabbatical from being a doctor in order to not endanger the twin girls she now carried. For Rose, using her powers put a strain on her body and that meant endangering her precious little cargo. Vincent wished his wife would just sit back and be a mom, but being the stubborn soul she was, Rose insisted on doing something, hence her taking up accounting. Why she chose that career was beyond Vincent, but for him those amount of numbers just made his head spin.

Vincent was still working at Hammel with several years of ups and downs under his belt. Friends had come and gone, as had so many children. He still enjoyed his job and while he was still a dedicated man, his family now came before his job. Vincent was still the overprotective man, but now he had something to really focus on. He still gave Hammel as much attention as he could, but now he relied more on his staff to carry out jobs he used to do. He had given up working nights as Rose didn't like being alone, but to be honest, he wasn't ever required to work nights anyway, it was just something he did to try and be fair.

Vincent slowly drove down the lane toward his house, one hand on the steering wheel with the other hand resting on his leg. He slowed even more and pulled into a concrete driveway, smiling at the toys which littered the yard. His son was a walking tornado of chaos, but Vincent would not have it any other way. Turning the large SUV off, Vincent grabbed the leather bag which held his laptop and got out of his car. He lazily pushed aside one toy after another as he made his way to the front door, taking his keys from his pocket and unlocking the front door. Once inside, Vincent set the leather bag which contained his laptop on a small round table and then took off his dress coat, hanging it on the coat rack. The house was silent, which meant Ivan must be out back and that meant Rose wasn't far behind.

Taking his time, Vincent walked through the house, emerging into the kitchen, catching sight of Rose just sitting at the table, watching Ivan play outside. He knew how blessed both of them were to have Ivan and now two healthy girls on the way. Rose had eventually told him while they were dating of the miscarriages she had and Vincent had to admit, it worried him. However, Vincent was a man of very strong faith and it seems that faith was paying off. Walking up to Rose, Vincent bent over, putting one large hand on Rose's rather large stomach. He kissed his wife on the cheek and smiled. "And how are my girls today?," he asked as he did every day.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Rose was a bit surprised as she caught the sight of Vincent from the side. She smiled as he kissed her and put his hand on her stomach. It was amazing that they had been together all this time and she still felt excited to see him. She put her hand on his, "We've really missed you today.", the girls started turning and pushing as if they were trying to join in on the conversation in their own way. She sat for just a second before pulling his hand away from her stomach and standing up. She put her back side against the table and pulled him close to her. She stood on her tip toes the best she could, letting her fingers slip into the dark hair at the base of his neck. "I love you." she said softly as if the moment Ivan knew daddy was home this private time would be quickly taken away from them. She loved the feel of him next to her, his cologne, the motion of his body as he breathed. She felt so at peace when he was here with her and when he was gone she felt like part of her went with him.

She was happy to have Ivan and she had to admit that it made their 'nest' feel fuller but she indulged in every minute they had to themselves. Right now Rose was miserable, she had gained forty pounds with her twins, and her hormones were all out of whack. She gave him a mischievous smiled, letting one hand slip from the back of his neck down the side and at the beginning of his chest. "I think you'll have to make it up to me tonight." She looked at him with devilish eyes, glad that Vincent was basically a big charged up battery. She needed his support, his help with the kid(s) and the house, and she had other needs as well.

She heard Ivan laughing loudly which put her mind at ease that he was alright. She pulled herself up to give Vincent a welcome home kiss before letting herself drop down flat on her feet. Everything about him still pulled at all her senses and she had to make sure to keep herself in check when their son was around. She gave a big smile, putting her hand back on her belly and looking at him. "Well, have you decided on names you like yet?" They had thrown around some ideas and things were still up in the air. It was hard enough naming one little child at least when it came to giving them something with meaning to you, much less two.

She looked Vincent over, getting that goofy looking grin on her face again. He was her guardian, her friend, her lover, her weakness.. but yet he never let her fall. She couldn't even imagine now having the doubts that she had before. It was impossible for her to even try to comprehend that she couldn't have trusted him before or that she was reluctant to indulge in physical aspects of their relationship. She pressed her lips together, toying with the front of his shirt with her finger, "We should plan a night out before the girls get here. I am sure that they could stay with mom and dad. What do you say? Think you could take a few days from work?"

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent had always had the guardian instinct but now that he had Rose and Ivan, not to mention twin daughters on the way, he was more protective than ever. Vincent was not a man to be challenged as he didn't know the meaning of giving up. The family he had now was his life, filling the empty place he had had for years. Hammel was still important to him and Vincent still took his job there very seriously, but Hammel just wasn't at the top as she used to be. Family always came first in his book. Thankfully nothing had challenged his roll as family protector over the years he and Rose had been together and he hoped nothing ever would.

The feel of the twin girls squirming inside Rose brought a smile to Vincent's face. He knew once these kids got here he wouldn't hardly have any free time and he was thankful for his ability at this point. Being able to stay up all night without any ill side effects came in very handy and it allowed Rose some respite. He had been worried when Rose was pregnant with Ivan, given her past tragedies in this department. Vincent sort of went into an over protective mode and wouldn't let Rose do a thing. He had really pushed his powers in this department and now that Rose was pregnant again, he was falling right back into that routine.

Vincent stood back to give Rose room to stand, chuckling a bit as he watched her wrestle her way to her feet. It was cute seeing her like this. Rose had been a very physical person to begin with, but when she was pregnant, her need for contact doubled. This didn't bother Vincent as he enjoyed having her paw at him and seek his affection. He stood there, towering over Rose with a smile as she played with his hair, then the back of his neck. The sound of Ivan laughing from outside made Vincent smile even more and he knew it would only be a few minutes before the small little boy would be tearing into the kitchen from some rough housing with daddy. Ivan was still too young to know if he was a meta or not and while it was highly possible given that both Rose and Vincent were. However, genetics were a weird thing and Ivan could be just a normal human. Either way, Vincent would still love his son and treat him fairly.

Rose was very touchy now and Vincent knew what that meant. Pregnant woman were very hungry for some intimate physical contact and that suited Vincent just fine. Rose put herself in check and backed away from Vincent, her hand resting on her stomach once again. Vincent backed away as well, his back resting against the refrigerator. He crossed his arms and put on that mocking thinking face he always to rile Rose in these situations. "I like Sophia and Catherine," he said, knowing Rose wasn't going to like either one. She had given him the battle over Ivan's name, but on this one, he knew she would balk. Vincent would pretend to fight her over the choices, but in the end, he would settle for her choices. Picking and choosing battles was what kept good soldiers alive, especially the married ones.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Rose remembered the fear she felt, the helplessness when she first found out she was pregnant with Ivan. She was getting shots to prevent it but after about a week of waking up queasy and missing her period by three days she had bought a test. She was really scared at first and if it wasn't for Vincent being there with her she wasn't sure if she would have snapped out of it or not. She was thankful for having a patient and understanding husband, someone that stayed by her side and let her cry when she needed to. In the past showing that kind of weakness was unthinkable but Vincent had her complete trust and once she realized she wasn't alone and she didn't always have to be the strong link she allowed herself to let go a bit. She had actually just returned back to work from vacation and after gathering herself together logically she had to take a leave of absence. Technically they only hold the job for three months but seeing how it was necessary, they let her come back after her sons birth.

And now, here they are again with an even greater blessing. This time when she found out she lacked that fear, she had already been through this once and had found some limits from the first pregnancy. Their son looked like Vincent but she couldn't help but wonder just what these two would look like. She smiled as she tried to get a clear image in her head of the two baby girls. A push of protest against her hand only widened her smile and made her shift her weight, arching her back to try to help the pain.

She watched Vincent as he stood against the fridge. She gave a half nod, "I like Sophia... but Catherine?" She had to admit it didn't really have any ring to it that made her want to label her baby with it for life. She bit the inside of her lip a bit nervously, wondering what Vincent would think about her idea... she'd been thinking here lately how much she loved Vincent's sister and how she was with Ivan when she got a chance to see him. "How about Sophia and Natalie?" she asked watching him and hoping that neither him nor his sister would think this a bad idea.

Almost as if the two were linked she looked out the glass window in the door at their son. They never tried to hide what they were from him but Rose tried to get him to understand they were different just like anyone else and it was best if they only talked about their abilities in front of people they knew well. "I wonder...." she started to say, pausing just to hear his laughter again, "what it's going to be like when he gets older?" She hoped their son was a meta, not because she felt like they were superior but for instance hers gave her an edge on survival. As any mother would she wanted the best for her son and if it meant that one small gap between life and death she wanted him to beat the odds however. She knew that no matter where you lived their was violence to an extent and as much as she would like to hover over Ivan and smother him with love, he needed room to grow, to test himself and this world. Not right now but eventually he would need the room to start molding himself into a man... Not that she wouldn't be there the first sign he wanted her to or needed her.

With some thought and seriousness she looked back at Vincent. "I mean if you could choose for him, what type of ability would you want him to have?" All of them had their pros about them and any would be happily accepted by her.

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent had to admit he was a bit shocked by Rose's choice of names. She liked Sophia, but it wasn't that one which took him by surprise. Rose wanted to name one of the twins after Vincent's sister. He was thrilled when she agreed to name their son after Vincent's father, but now she wanted to honor his sister in the same manner. This might have been a small thing to some people, but to someone like Vincent it was very serious. This meant Rose thought highly of Natalie and considering how close Vincent and his sister were, it struck a very strong chord with him. "I like Natalie a lot," he said with a boyish smile as he dropped his head a bit in that same old fashioned he always did when moved the way he was now. "I think sis will be a bit shocked, but I don't quite think she'll turn the idea down," he said, looking back up to Rose, giving her a wink.

Rose's attention was turned to Ivan, but Vincent watched her now. She had that look on her face again, the look which mean she was pondering something heavy. Vincent waited, listening as Rose half talked to herself and him at the same time. She worried about their son all the time, but Vincent understood her worry. Rose had suffered great loss in her past marriage. Having something so precious taken from you made Vincent want to throw up. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Ivan or the twins in any manner. It was his greatest fear, not being able to do anything to save someone. After all these years, he was wiser, but still the same old Vincent.

Stepping forward, he put his arms around Rose and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry so much Rose, he'll be fine," he said, trying to reassure Rose and take away her worry. It was a losing battle, but still Vincent tried. Rose only worried because she loved their son and Vincent wouldn't have it any other way. Releasing her now, Vincent backed away again and took a deep breath at her question. He wouldn't lie, Vincent had thought about Ivan's genetic status sever times. Part of Vincent hoped his son was a meta, as it would make growing up in the family easier for him, in Vincent's opinion. "The best ability he could ever have, is a good heart," he said, smiling at Rose again. "He'll be what he is Rose and if he is a meta, I'm sure whatever ability he has, he'll make good use of it. After all, he's got his mother's attitude," he added, giving Rose a wink. Ivan might have had Vincent's looks, but he had most of Rose's attitude and affection in him.

[Roselyn Veeder]

Rose was happy that Vincent perked up at the idea of naming one of the girls after his sister. She was a lovely woman, inside and out and Rose thought highly of her. In fact she felt that she really was a part of the Romanov family and though she didn't have as much history with them she hoped to make sure they were in hers in the future. She smiled, feeling relaxed and rubbing her stomach again, "Natalie and Sophia." She already felt that maternal attachment to them, that instinct to take care of them. She was lucky to have Vincent as a husband because he really did his best to watch after all of them.

As she started thinking about Ivan, letting some of her thoughts slip to Vincent she felt his arms wrap completely around her. She hugged him back, tightly feeling comfort in his touch and the kiss he placed on her forehead. She felt encompassed in this 'calm' when she was around him. He let go and she hesitantly let her arms drop back down too. He spoke and his words really touched her heart, it didn't matter if they were meta or not. Vincent would still be amazing without his ability, and Rose knew she would still have a passion for others and want to help if she were normal too. She felt her eyes water a bit and she blinked them quickly. "You're right. He doesn't have to be a meta." Not that she felt it was necessary, but as long as he was loving and gentle.. that's what really mattered to Rose.

She was taken back a bit by his words, feeling it a great compliment for her to be compared to her son. She was already proud of him, this made her beam even more. She knew that Vincent wasn't always book smart but that didn't mean he lacked intelligence. She gave a slight laugh, "I'm so lucky to have two great men in my life." She offered Vincent a warm smile, admiring him for just a moment. She loved his calm demeanor, the way that he didn't get upset over simple things like she did at times. He helped keep her grounded and made her a better person.

Her mind drifted to all sorts of colorful scenarios that they may have once the girls get here and even as they grow. It was a good thing that no one in this house was extremely testosterone driven because their room was done in shades of pink, hello kitty's face plastered from one end of the room to the other. She had fun picking out the diaper bag, knowing good and well Vincent would carry it too. With Ivan it had been mostly greens and browns, neutral tones. That wouldn't do for these little princesses. Mostly pinks but some purples seemed to be the main (if not only) color scheme. Rose had already splurged on bows and little socks that look like ballet shoes. She was in baby heaven and just thinking about catching daddy sleeping with a bottle of bright pink nail polish seemed so sweet to her. Good thing for Vincent that was far and few in between.

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent knew Rose was looking forward to having two little girls about the house. For years now she had been outnumbered, but as was the truth in any matter involving females, she was never out voted. Rose gave Vincent the rule over the house and their family, but Vincent knew better than to think he could make any competent decision without her. It was give and take, as marriage should be. Both partners working in unison to achieve the same set goals. Now this didn't mean they never fought, it just meant they knew the roles each had to play and to support. It had been easier before Ivan came along, but now, they had to work everything around him. It was going to be three times as difficult when the twins got here, but Vincent and Rose would manage, they always did.

Ivan's laughter could be heard clearly once more as the boy continued his playing outside. He was always the happy child and had been very eager to see his new sisters since Rose had told him she was pregnant. Vincent wasn't sure how eager little Ivan would be once his sisters got here and he learned just how much of his mommy time he had to give up. Vincent expected some rebellion from the boy, but that was normal.

Raising two girls was going to be the real challenge for Vincent. Little boys, he knew all about, but girls.....well, they were a different creature in general. He knew how boys thought, what interested them and how to make them listen when they weren't. Girls however, were fragile and let their minds drift from one subject to the next in the blink of an eye. Raising Haley had been very difficult as the slightest stern word from Vincent always sent her crying to her room. Thank God he had Rose there to help during Haley's teen years or he might have just had a heart attack then. Oh....the teen years. He just realized that he was going to have to go through that again. Ivan he could threaten and punish with manual labor around the house, but the girls....there was no hope for him there. All sorts of boys calling the house day and night, not to mention the rebellion and sneaking out to meet said boys which Vincent would never approve of.

"So....you give any thought to getting some help once the girls get here? I'm sure mom wouldn't mind coming down to stay with us for a while. Haley's room is just sitting there empty...," he said, unsure of how open Rose was to the idea. He had mentioned it before, but Rose drifted away from it without really answering him. She loved her mother-in-law, but having her around all day and night for weeks on end just might be pushing things.