2-27: Safe In My Hands

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Xavier took another drink of the alcohol in his glass, watching the man he'd just given his daughter away to hold her close. He never drank, but tonight seemed a fitting reason to. His youngest daughter was only 21, and married twice. 

But, this one seemed like the right one.

He sat the glass on the table he was seated at, tracing the rim of it with his fingertip.

"You're going to be okay. Promise. And so will she."

Xavier glanced up at his wife. Tonight was the first time he'd really seen her look alive since Thaddeous had died. And it was a look he had missed. 

"Second time better be the charm, or I'm going to prison."

Eden laughed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Ryan's not going to hurt her. You can believe that, Xav."

He nodded, taking another drink and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Uh huh."

Eden's attention was drawn elsewhere. Probably Kiara. That's who it usually was.

But Xavier was busy watching Rain. The way she glowed was something he didn't want to ever go away. It had taken so long to get her to do it again.

Rain broke apart from Ryan, her gaze falling on her dad. She smiled brightly at him, and approached his table, her cheeks flushed.

"Dad! Will you dance with me?"

Xavier raised an eyebrow at her, clearing his throat.

"I don't dance."

Rain reached down, taking his hand in hers and pulling him to his feet.

"Well you do tonight."

He felt ridiculous, following his daughter onto the dance floor. 

Were father daughter dances invented to embarrass the father? Cause right now that's what it feels like.

She put her hands on his shoulders, her eyes lit up like fireworks.

"I love you, Daddy."

Xavier couldn't help but relent under her smile, nodding and trying his best to dance with her like he was supposed to.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

He looked over at Ryan, the way he watched the two of them. Every time his eyes fell on Rain, it was obvious. Just as he had said it was. How much he loved her.

He was way too old for her. He was a vampire and he was tall as hell, and broody. But he loved Rain. And it seemed unconditional.

He let out a heavy breath, looking back down at his daughter.

"You're really happy, aren't you?"

Rain brightened, her eyes traveling over to Ryan.

"I am."

Her voice was breathless, excited. 

The song slowed to an end, and Xavier heard the clapping, but for a moment he didn't want the dance to end. Didn't want to let his little girl go.

But he knew that he had to. And this time, it was going to be okay.

He leaned down, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Congratulations, Rain."

He released her hand, watching her walk over to her new husband.

Ryan took her into her arms like she'd been gone for hours.

As he shuffled over to his seat and picked up his glass again, he put his hand over Eden's on the table.

"You don't see that often."

Eden followed his gaze, another smile crossing her lips.

"Yeah, he loves her. And he didn't even have to stop her from getting on a plane to get her to realize she loved him back."

The corner of Xav's mouth rose and he shook his head.

"You always knew. You just had to be difficult.

Glad you decided to stay though. I won't argue that."

Eden pressed her lips to his cheek, leaving a red lipstick print behind.

"Best decision of my life, Nile."

She turned back to Kiara, and Xav turned his attention back to his youngest daughter, finality in his chest.

And I think this is hers.

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"Moving sucks. Why are you making me help you with this?"

Storm looked over her shoulder at her toddler. Variance kept pulling things out of boxes and then running away, laughing maniacally, when Storm tried to take the things away.

"That girl is her father. I swear to God."

Rain grinned at her big sister, pulling tape across the top of the box in front of her.

"Fangs and all."

Storm rolled her eyes, nodding.

"Unfortunately."

She acted like she wasn't happy about it, but Rain knew it was just that. An act.

Storm finished packing the box in front of her, taking the tape out of Rain's hands.

"Riverview though? Why so far away?"

Rain stacked her box on top of Storm's and shrugged a shoulder.

"We love the house. And we want a family. It's perfect for that.

And it's only two hours, Storm. I'll be closer than you think."

Nash's groan preceded her entrance, and Variance's fusses accompanied it.

"Your tiny terror is trying to feed my tiny terror crayons."

Nash had only recently had her baby. Variance was two. And Rain was pretty sure newborns shouldn't be eating crayons. Storm sighed loudly, taking Variance out of Nash's grip.

"Vari, we don't feed babies crayons. We don't feed anything crayons. Crayons aren't edible."

Variance smiled at her mom, mouth full of shiny white teeth.

"Sorry, momma."

Storm raised an eyebrow, sitting her daughter on Rain's old bed.

"Uh huh."

She quickly scooted off of it, turning to grin at her mom before racing out of the room, back the way she had came. Nash sat the carseat containing her son on the spot Variance had vacated, glancing around the room.

"Were you able to convince Rain not to leave us?"

Storm feigned a heavy sigh, her eyes on her sister.

"No. She's dead set on leaving us behind."

Rain tossed a Styrofoam peanut at her sisters head, rolling her eyes.

"Stop that. Both of you. It's not that far away. I swear I'll keep in touch. I'll be back all the time. I love you guys."

Nash walked over to Rain, wrapping her in a hug. Storm joined the hug, even though she'd never really been that close to Nash. But it felt right. The three of them in that moment.

When the hug broke, Rain almost swore she saw tears in her sister's eyes.

"So when are you gonna have a baby, Rain. You're 23 now. And your man is hot. Why is there no baby making?"

Rain squeezed her eyes shut at Nash's comment, turning back to the new box she was packing.

"Someday."

Nash and Storm exchanged a look and Nash poked her finger softly into Rain's side.

"Soon. I want Chase to have a friend."

Rain mimicked Nash's poke, glancing at the car seat with the softly sleeping baby.

"Soon."

In about eight months.

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Rain waited patiently for the doctor, nerves amplifying with each passing minute. She'd been terrified after losing the baby with Hawthorne that maybe her body just couldn't handle another one. The procedure she had needed because of it could make that happen. Could make you miscarry. 

And it scared her down to her core.

Ryan ran his fingers down the length of her spine, his whisper in her ear.

"The baby's going to be fine, Rain. I can hear its heartbeat, I've told you that.

You saw the baby on the monitor."

Rain nodded at him, her smile weak. She wanted to believe him. Vampire superhearing and all that. But it was hard to. She wanted concrete medical proof. Not just a fuzzy picture on a screen and her husband's reassurance.

The door opened and the doctor walked in, a smile huge on his face.

Rain let out a sigh of relief at just the sight of that.

"Good news! The baby's doing just fine!"

Ryan laughed, his touch on her shoulder.

"See?"

Rain glanced at the charts in his hands, swallowing hard.

"The baby's okay?"

The doctor smiled at her, turning the chart around so she could see it.

"Better than okay. But I think your timing was just a little off. Because we saw more on the ultrasound than we should at the gestation you mentioned."

He flipped the chart over, glancing at Ryan and then back at Rain.

"Would you like to know what you're having?"

They'd switched doctors when they'd moved to Riverview, but when she was in Bridgeport she had thought she was right on time. But maybe she'd been wrong. She looked at Ryan and he nodded at the doctor.

"It's a little boy. Due around March 7th."

He said a few more things, about the health of the baby, Rain's weight gain. But it mostly blurred together after she knew the baby was okay. 

Not just the baby.

Her son.

When he left the room, she got off of the chair, walking over to the couch Ryan was seated on. She sat next to him, leaning into his shoulder. The weight of worry had disappeared from her chest, and she felt at peace. Happy.

"A boy."

Ryan grinned, putting his hand on her stomach.

"Yep. Can we name him Apollo? I kind of always liked that name."

Rain laughed, shaking her head slowly.

"You have baby names picked out and I do not?"

She put her hand over his, her voice thoughtful.

"I don't know though. I don't think this one feels like an Apollo."

Ryan looked confused, glancing at her stomach.

"Babies feel like names?"

"Not necessarily. But I feel like that name should go somewhere else. Not with this baby."

She looked up at him, worry settling in her chest again for a second.

"Is that weird?"

Ryan shook his head.

"Not at all. If it doesn't feel like an Apollo, we can name him something else."

Rain bit down on her lip as Ryan helped her to her feet.

"This baby feels like an Icarus."

Ryan followed her out the door and to their new SUV, opening the passenger door so she could get inside.

"Greek mythology names, huh?"

He shut the door and got behind the wheel, the ignition turning over.

"Yep. Those feel right. My dad's middle name is Ares and I kind of want to continue that."

He nodded at her as he pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward their new house. 

Where they would raise this baby.

Where they had made a new life. Together.

"Greek mythology names it is then."

Rain grinned at him, directing her gaze out of the window.

"You started it with Apollo. It all just kind of seems to fit together."

For once in her life... everything seemed to.

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In the night, every road you take

In the night, brings you back to me

And you stand alone, I'm right here

So take my hand, don't be scared

We can go anywhere

You don't have to run, you don't have to hide,

Cause I got you,

Safe in my hands