My Beloved Monster

I smiled and shook my head at my dress. It seemed like a good idea at the time to dress in something like a Dirndl. I gently ran my fingers over my hair. My headache was beginning to fade from earlier due to the tight braids, but I happened to like them.

Loring was on the phone talking to Klara and Chaz was sitting next to me on the floor holding my hand. I was listening to my I-Pod blasting out every other noise waiting for my turn.

Three other people have gone before me since the last cleaning of the ice and at least a dozen before those. I turned my I-Pod off and placed it in my duffel bag.

"Ready doll?" Chaz asked me.

Loring finished tightening my skates and slipped the legging back over it. He smacked my boot and smiled, "Of course she is."

I smiled my thanks for their encouragement, but was too nervous to talk. I slipped out of my jacket and walked up to the entrance as I was announced. I took off my guards and handed them to Loring.

I stepped out on the ice and skated around a few times getting a feel for it while the crowd cheered and I was announced. I smiled briefly and let out a deep breath as I stood in the center. The music for the Argentine tango began to play. I took another deep breath and then carried out my program.

I ended back in the center of the ice with my right arm raised trying to catch my breath. I picked up some of the flowers and kissed it waving to the crowd. I skated back to Loring and slipped the guards back on the blades.

"That was so fucking horrible." I huffed. My height wasn't its greatest and I almost fell once before regaining my balance at the last moment.

"I'm not going to lie, you could've done better." He smirked as we went over to the bench. Loring sat on my left as Chaz took my right. "But, you did good enough to continue into the long program."

"Eh, don't worry about it." Chaz wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

I smiled and waved at the camera, blowing kisses as the crowd cheered louder. "Guess I couldn't have done too bad."

"8.3, 9.2, 9.2, 8.5, and 8.9" I strained to hear the score. I smiled knowing I should have hit at least all nine's, but there's nothing I could do it's over and done with. I just had to make sure I do my very best for the long program.

Loring and Chaz hugged me as we were directed down the hall. A few cameras came up and I smiled and waved at them.

"So how do you feel Adelina?" One woman asked me.

I smiled, "I know I could have done better, but there is still the long program to look forward to. May I say hello to someone?"

She laughed. "Sure."

"April and Phil I love you guys." I blew kisses to the camera. "And Wolf too! Thanks." I smiled at the woman.

"No problem." She turned to the camera and wrapped up her speech as I caught up with Chaz and Loring.

"You're too cute." Chaz laughed.

"Next time I'll mention you." I smiled.

"Awesome." He grinned.

"Adelina, stop walking in your skates and sit down." Loring shook his head at me.

I did as I was told and sat against the wall in the hallway. My breath caught as he peeled off the skates. I'm so used to wearing thick wool sock s with these skates that I never gave myself time to adjust to the leggings alone. I slipped on my jacket and some leg warmers.

"You okay?" Loring asked seeing me wince. "We'll soak them when we get back to the hotel okay. Do you want to stick around for the rest of the performances?"

Normally I would, but I was just so exhausted at the moment. "Not today Loring."

Chaz scooped me up and put me on his back. "That's right because right now we are going to meet Ville."

"I'll bring everything back, you guys can go now." Loring suggested.

"You sure?" I asked feeling slightly bad for leaving him by himself.

"Yeah, go, go." He waved us off.

"Well you heard the man." Chaz adjusted me on his back and took off into the Helsinki streets running.

"Do you even know where you are going?" I laughed. The sun was starting to set.

"I think so." He chuckled.

I all of a sudden felt this overwhelming sensation. "Put me down."

He did as he was told and I ran to a trash bin on the sidewalk. Chaz came over and held my hair as I emptied my lunch.

"You okay?" He rubbed my back.

"Yeah." I nodded my head. I raised my arms and pouted. "Carry me?"

"You sure that's a good idea?" He asked eyebrows raised.

"Perfectly sure since we left my shoes with Loring." I rolled my eyes.

"Oops?" He laughed and lifted me onto his back once again. I snuggled my head on his shoulder enjoying the ride.

He turned a corner after a few more blocks and went into this bar. I groaned. "Whose idea?"

"Ville's." Chaz laughed giving him full credit. Sliding into a booth with me still on his back.

I squished my way off and fell onto the floor. "Chaz, I hate you."

"No you don't doll." He laughed helping me up and letting me slid first into the booth this time.

"That's right. Ville, I hate you." I glared across the table at him.

"Now, darling why would you say that?" Ville asked in amused tone.

"Because we're in a bar." I stated the obvious. Chaz laughed and order himself a beer and me a Pepsi.

"That's where one generally goes when celebrating." The man next to me smirked.

I looked over to see Jussi Vuori and smiled. "Well that would be fine and all if I was aloud to drink."

"Oh right, I forgot about that." Ville smiled innocently at me.

"How could you forget?" I said dryly and rolled my eyes.

"She's a little sensitive since Bam knocked her up." He leaned over and whispered loudly in his ear.

"He's drunk right?" I asked Jussi. He better had been drunk or so help him.

"Oh, I can assure you that." Jussi smiled. "So you have some bread in the oven? Is that how the saying goes?"

I shrugged and spoke in Finnish to make things easier for him. "How should I know?"

"Well congratulations-" he paused.

"Adel and that's Chaz." I jerked my thumb in his direction.

"She's skating here." Ville gestured with his hands.

"Oh, the outfit makes sense now." He laughed.

"Yet, I still don't know why I don't have shoes." I looked accusingly at Chaz.

"Hey, I just followed orders." He raised his hands in defense.

"So how did you do in your performance today?" Jussi asked. I sighed dramatically and slouched down in the booth.

"She did great." Chaz answered for me and rubbed my shoulder.

"Yeah, if you call great almost falling then sure. I did amazing then." I replied sarcastically.

"Almost, but didn't fall right?" Jussi smiled.

"True." I shrugged.

"Besides, Adelina is the great Nobel Butterfly." Ville smiled looking better than when I had first come in.

Chaz smiled over at some pretty woman across the room that had been eyeing him since we got here. "Well doll, I am going to make a new friend?"

"Yeah go have fun." I laughed and pushed him out of the booth. At least one of us can have fun. Well, I take that back, I'm having fun, but I wish things weren't as restricted so for me.

"So Adel, where are you from?" Jussi started the conversation again.

"Well, originally from Pennsylvania." I laughed at how I said it. "I always had a hard time pronouncing that word."

"Same here. So you really do know Bam then?" He grinned.

"Yeah," my smile fell.

"She grew up with him when they were little." Ville explained further for me. Jussi nodded his head understanding that what Ville drunkenly whispered earlier may have held some truth in it.

"So where do you live now since these are the European championships?" He asked changing the subject.

I smiled gratefully. "In south Germany. It's a small town in the center of Bavaria, but not part of Bavaria." I laughed how that sounded confusing.

"Your accent sounds beautiful. Especially when speaking Finnish." He commented.

"Really? I don't believe you." I looked at him suspiciously teasing him. "I've never been told that. German is always spoken so much in the back of the throat."

"Don't be diffident Adelina. You are beautiful." Ville added smiling.

"You two are too much." I laughed rolling my eyes.

"And you are too modest." Jussi concurred.

My stomach did another flip-flop, like earlier. "Excuse me." I darted to the bathroom. I heard someone come in as I flushed and unlocked the stall.

"Are you okay?" Ville asked.

"I think morning sickness is all psychological because I didn't get sick until I found out." I whipped my mouth with a wet paper towel and threw it away in the trash bin. "You are aware that you are in the woman's restroom?"

"You're body is just making some adjustments. Do you want me to take you back to your room?" He asked me ignoring my earlier question.

I closed my eyes and nodded. "Yeah."

"Come on, hope up." He bent down so I could reach his back.

"I wish I had my shoes. My feet are cold." I laid my head in the crook of his neck.

"Here," He adjusted my wait stopping and sticking my feet in his jean pockets. "Better?"

"Yeah," I laughed softly.

"Come on Jussi." Ville called him over.

"She okay?" He asked slipping his jacket on walking next to us.

"Yeah, some morning sickness I think." Ville mused and patted my leg.

"Wait she really is pregnant?" Jussi asked him.

"Yup, and with Bam's kid. How great is that?" I asked sarcastically. Feeling a bit grumpy and tired.

"Bitchy, bitchy." Ville teased.

"Yes, and I blame you." I sighed and started drifting off.

"Why is everything my fault?" Ville asked rhetorically.

Jussi laughed. "Because my friend you are just an easy target."

I sighed content as I felt my back being rubbed and my name being softly called.

"That's not going to wake her up." Ville sighed adjusting me on his back again.

"Sure it will, Adelina?" Jussi went back to trying to get me awake.

My eyes fluttered opened, squinting from the new light. "Hi."

"Hey yourself. Where's your room key?" Jussi asked smiling.

"Oh no." I groaned. "Chaz has it."

"That's okay, you can just get a new one." Ville reassured me and helped my get my balance as he lowered me to the ground.

I went over to the desk and got the key. I limped back over to the guys seeing as my sore feet were finally taking a toll on me. "Alright, let's go."

Ville made me go on his back again and I directed them to my room. I gave Jussi the key to open the room.

"Well, just enjoy yourselves, I really need to soak my feet." I sighed grabbing my pajamas not caring how absurd that sounded.

I took off the dress and leggings carefully, while the tub filled with warm water. I changed into my pajamas and carefully rolled up the pants legs. I eased my feet into the warm water and sat on the edge of the tub.

There was a knock on the door. "Hey Adel can I come in? I really need to take a piss." Jussi's voice came from the other side.

I laughed, "Yea it's unlocked."

He flushed and washed his hands before sitting next to me. "Looks like it hurts."

"A little." I agreed. "But, I have a couple of days until the long program to recover. They have to do the men's, pair's, and dancing pair's before the women's singles go back for the long one."

"Here give me one." Jussi gestured to my feet. I gave him a weird look. " I washed my hands."

I laughed and shook my head as he grabbed one foot and started to massage it. "So Mr. Big Rock Star Drummer? Tell me about yourself."

"Yeah, like what?" He smirked.

"I don't know." I shrugged and laughed. "I couldn't think of anything. Give me a break. I have a stranger giving me an amazing foot massage."

"Amazing huh?" He laughed. "So something about me? Well my favorite band is the Misfits obviously, but everyone knows that."

"Yeah, they're a pretty good band." I nodded having a few Misfit's CD's myself. "Favorite song of theirs for me would have to be Attitude or Ballroom Blitz. That one's a toss up though. Next?"

"I never thought this would be hard." He chuckled to himself.

Ville leaned in the doorway. "So was I not invited?"

I crossed my leg over and pointed it at him. "Want the other foot?"

"Nah, Jussi's doing a good job on his own." Ville grinned and sat on the counter. "So getting to know one another?"

"Trying to, it's hard to come up with something." Jussi laughed.

"Eh, how hard can that be?" Ville mocked him.

"Oh yeah you tell me something about yourself that you haven't said in an interview that you would tell a stranger?" I shook my foot at him waiting for an answer.

"Okay, maybe you're right." Ville grabbed my foot making me slip into the tub. He started laughing and went to help me up when Jussi pushed him in. "Jussi, Mita helvettia?"

"Jussi, thank you." I said at the same time making me laugh harder.