Space Enough to Grow

2 Weeks Later

Kade had a lot questions. Why were the guys around a lot? Why was I always on guard? Why were we acting weird? Why were we being so protective?

Questions I dismissed as just a precaution for outsiders that like to pop in. Which isn't completely untrue but still. I try to dismiss everything as much as possible for his own health. Knowing that psychotic vampire clans could possibly come after our baby and kidnap it to raise it as their own for power? Knowing that we are seriously running out of options because there isn't much that we can do? Yeah that would send him into labor which is something I really don't need right now.

Good thing is no one else has showed up since I killed that girl. Things have gotten...quiet. It was soothing at the most but I never let my guard down. Anything can happen when you least expect it.
☆☆

"Chris I'm bored!" Kade whined to me from the bed. I rolled my eyes and kept looking through my shirts for one to wear.

"Read a book then" I mumbled as I pulled out my black craft cult Misanthropy shirt. I thought for a minute before taking it off the hanger and putting my arms through the sleeves.

"Can we like go out or something? We've been cooped up in this house for weeks" Kade suggested and I stiffened just a little but kept putting on my shirt.

"And where do you suggest we go?"

"Shopping. Eating. A fucking movie theater! Just somewhere!" I turned and saw that he was sitting up.

"Kade you look like you have a giant bowling ball in your stomach. Its not safe for you to be in public" I said to him and he gave me a weird look. I sighed as I realized my mistake of letting him in on the big secret.

"Why wouldn't it be safe?" He asked curiously and I sighed. Shaking my head, I climbed on the bed and laid on my back. It was silent for a few minutes before Kade crawled over me, giving me a look.

"Why wouldn't it be safe Chris?" He asked me again and I racked my brain quickly for a reason behind my argument.

"Well...you're pregnant Kade and its not natural for a male to be pregnant. People will ask questions. Questions that will lead people into our world and cause a ruckus. It wouldn't be wise. We like our privacy.."I held my breath as I watched him. He eyed me very suspiciously but was deep in thought. After a second though, his face went smooth and he nodded much to my relief. I let out the breath I was holding.

"You're right..but can we at lease drive around or something? I just don't wanna be in the house all day again. Besides you've been stressed out past few weeks and its making me stressed out" He countered me. I thought for a minute. Getting out did sound nice. We've all been suffocating in the house. Tension has been crawling up the walls. It sounded really nice to get out. And I don't think driving around would be too bad. So I made a decision.

"Alright we can drive around" I said to him and his tired eyes lit up like the blue summer skies. Kade crawled off the bed and skipped over to the closet to get his shoes out. I laughed and shook my head at him as I rolled off the bed and pulled my creepers on. After Kade slipped his shoes on, he danced over and handed me my Jason Voorhees black craft cult jacket. I gave him a soft smile as I put it on. I slipped my phone in my pocket and grabbed my car keys off the nightstand. Kade already had his hat on. It was cold today but not as cold as it has been. Still hasn't snowed either which was upsetting Kade. He's been dying for it to snow.

We laced our fingers together as we exited the room, turning the light off and shutting the door. The hallway was quiet and empty which meant everyone else was probably downstairs. Kade and I walked quietly to the steps and I held him a little closer so we could get down safely. We reached the bottom when Snow came running out from the kitchen with something in his mouth. I chuckled and leaned down, picking the kitten up. Just as I did, Ricky came running from the kitchen. Kade laughed as he took the object from Snow's mouth. It was a piece of Rick's ear buds.

"That damn cat!" Ricky snapped. I grinned and held Snow to my chest.

"What happened?" Kade asked in an amused tone.

"I was playing with him! Dangling my headphones so he can try to get them and he jumps up and bites the bud off! You evil creature!" Ricky hissed at Snow and Snow hissed right back at him. I chuckled and sat Snow on the ground where he scurried off.

"It's your own fault. You should know kittens are aggressive and playful" I said to Ricky who rolled his eyes.

"Last time I be nice to that furball!" Rick said childishly before stalking back into the kitchen. Kade and I shook our heads in an amused manner before heading towards the door and walking outside. The crisp winter air was very refreshing. I no longer felt congested which was a relief to me. We walked to my SUV where I opened Kade's door before lifting him up into the passenger seat. He closed the door as I walked to the other side and got in. Kade rested his feet on the dashboard as I started the car and circled out the driveway onto the path encased by dead trees. Right on cue, Kade reached for the radio and clicked it on but kept it on low. Out the corner of my eye I saw him lean back against the leather seat and let out a shaky sigh.

"You alright?" I asked him as I made a left at the end of the pathway. He nodded and held his stomach.

"Yeah I'm okay. My back just hurts a little. He's getting so big" Kade answered me and I chuckled.

"He?" I inquired and Kade laughed with a nod.

"Yes it's a boy. I can feel it" He said, sure of himself.

"Mmm I don't know. Based on your oh so feminine genes that boy may be a girl" I joked and Kade kicked my arm, making me laugh.

"You just shut up" He mumbled with a cute pout. I smiled and shook my head as I kept on driving. Knowing that we wouldn't be able to go out as much, I wanted to take Kade to a place I held close to me. Since I hold very few things, this place was very special to me. And its been years since I've been there.

It took only 10 minutes for me to arrive since I knew all the twists and turns from years and years of going there. I pulled up into the clearing and turned the car off.

"What's this place?" Kade asked me curiously as we got out the car. I smiled as we walked around the car to meet at the front. I took his hand carefully as we began to walk across the gray like clearing.

"Place from my childhood...I haven't been here in years" I answered him with a squeeze of his small hand. We were approaching a cliff that was mostly hidden from anyone. It was a cliff edge with a single rock edge that pointed out into the distance like a center piece. Below it was a never ending river. It seemed like a never ending river because I've never been to the end of it. More like an ocean.

I led him to the edge of the cliff where the platform like rock stood out strong. I looked at Kade and he nodded for us to continue. I held his hand tightly as we walked up the rock and stood feet from the edge of it. The air was colder up here due to us being near water. Below the waves were crashing against the side off the cliff fiercely like bulls.

"Wow..." Kade said in a dazed voice. I smiled as I stared out into the grey horizon. So many memories were coming back. The good ones and the bad ones. More of the bad in all honesty. My memories were hardly good.

"Its so beautiful out here....why did you stop coming?" He asked me and I looked down at the waves.

"Too many memories....I always came here to escape from home. My parents...weren't exactly the most loving" I answered him with a non humor scoff. He looked at me, frowning.

"What do you mean?" He asked me and I shrugged.

"My father was obsessed with power and my mother was obsessed...with herself. Our family line is a powerful one. My father expected me to live up to his standards. He wanted me to be powerful and feared. He gave me discipline when I wanted love I guess" I said softly as I stared into the waves, as if I was looking for something beyond the water.

"Is that why...you're so...emotionally detached?" Kade chose his words very carefully. I could tell and I appreciated that. Not like he was wrong. I know the type of person I am. He shouldn't use such kind words about me.

I nodded to confirm.

"Yeah...I came here to escape all of it. At home it was another lesson, another training session, another kill. There was no love in those four walls. Only selfish greeds and desires....I always felt like my parents didn't love me. My mother was always throwing a damn party or my dad was having meetings about taking over something. They were both too occupied with themselves and their lives that I became the forgotten son" I let out a shaky sigh. It was harder talking about than I thought. But I could handle it.

"How did you cope?" Kade asked and I shrugged, looking at him. His eyes were sad and full of concern. Something I rarely see for a person like me.

"Tried to impress them. I became so strong that I didn't know who I was anymore. All I did was kill and kill...and kill. And it actually made my father proud. That people feared me. Hated me. Local clans despised the Cerulli clan. But no one ever made a move to put us down. Because we were too powerful.." I trailed off into a soft whisper. I felt Kade wrap his arms around mine, snuggling me closely. I felt some warmth inside of me.

"Then where are they? Why aren't you with them?" He asked the question I've avoided and put down because I didn't wanna face it.

"For awhile things were fine. Best as they could be. I felt some type of connection to my parents. I had made the family infamous. Until...My mother had another son with my father....Michael Kuza Cerulli...my little brother. I had become so ruthless that even they were scared of me...so they gave him love and affection to not make the same mistake. I was pushed to the side and once again forgotten about. I grew sick and tired of being treated like trash. I had busted my ass to make them proud and then that thing... Michael...came into this world and destroyed what little connection we had" I could feel the tears building up in my eyes but I blinked them away. Everything was becoming overwhelming inside me.

"So I left...without a goodbye...not even a whisper. Not like they cared anyway" Kade pressed two fingers under my chin and turned my face towards him. We were facing each other.

"Is that why you don't want me to have our baby? Because you resent your family?" He asked me cautiously. I smiled sadly and took his hand, lacing our fingers.

"Essentially....I don't want to make the same mistakes they made....they are my parents. I'm just like them on some degree. More like my father than anything...worse perhaps...I just don't want to put our child through what I went through." I felt a single tear swell up in my eye and I did nothing to stop it. I closed my eyes and took a deep needed breath. Kade wiped my tear away with his thumb.

"I know you won't be like them Chris.You'll be a wonderful father to our baby....you have been more kind to me than anyone ever has. You have given me a home, the clothes on my back, protected me and despite me being pregnant, you still stuck by me. You saved me from the slave house. I know it seems like you're evil. I know you don't believe yourself to be a good person but you are. You're changing and you don't even know it. Maybe you needed someone to look inside for you" My smile grew as I opened my eyes and stared into his blue eyes. They were filled with honesty...just pure honesty. I held his small hands in mine and kissed them sweetly.

"You don't know how much that means to me Kade...you just don't know...." I whispered before leaning down and connecting our lips in a soft sweet and brief kiss.

"Come on...its getting late" He nodded before pulling away from me. Together we carefully walked off the rock, leaving behind the dead memories.
☆☆☆☆

I found myself sitting in my giant bathtub in pure white bubbles, relaxing in hot soothing water. So much was on my mind that I needed something to relax me and this seemed like a good plan. My mind was completely cleared and I felt as if I could fall asleep in here. I had the lights turned off and some candles lit that gave the bathroom a soft illumination.

"Chris do you have any pain medication?" Kade asked from the other side of the door and I laughed out loud. He came in, frowning at me.

"Kade I'm a vampire....what would I need medication for?" I asked him and he sighed, leaning on the sink and holding his back.

"You're right...sorry to bother you" He murmured. I thought for a second before speaking.

"Join me...hot water usually eases the tension" I suggested. He looked at me, a little surprised.

"Really? You don't mind?" Kade asked me and I shrugged with a lazy grin.

"Its lonely in here anyway. I could use the company" I chuckled and he gave me a smile before carefully taking his shirt off. His stomach was smooth and pale..and big. But I didn't mind. Kade stripped off his pants and boxers before carefully stepping into the tub. I helped him sit down with his back pressed against my chest. Kade let out a sigh of content as he leaned his head on my shoulder.

"Better?" I asked him and he nodded slowly.

"Much better" He answered. I wrapped my arms around his torso and rested my hand on his stomach. Like before...when I first touched his stomach, I felt the sparks. The little fireworks in my fingertips. Kade let out a soft yawn as I rubbed his stomach in soft slow circles, enjoying the moment of peace and content.

Something Kade said was ringing in my mind. Something he said to me that was correct. I knew he was right when he said it.

You're changing and you don't even know it

But now....I did know I was changing.