Chapter Nineteen

*Final Chapter - Will be an epilogue*

CHRIS

Carrying Rose's lifeless body up the drive was probably the toughest thing I'd ever faced since the night the Police told me my wife and daughter had been murdered. Rose looked even younger and innocent in my arms; she was my second chance of having a family. I should have fought harder to make her stay at the house instead of going to see Oli, but like my first daughter she was stubborn and knew how to wrap me around her little finger.

"We'll go ahead and field any questions, Chris. Come in when you're ready."

Josh pats my arm while looking down at Rose with tears in his eyes, the two of them were close. Josh didn't let that many people in but he let Rose in. I nod, unable to speak. I watch the vampire wipe the tears away with the back of his hand before walking up the stairs and into the house.

Ricky follows not far after him unable to make eye contact with either me or Rose. I should hate his guts, he killed her. But then I needed to remember that it wasn't him that dealt the final blow, it was Oli in his head pulling the strings. If he couldn't have Rose then he was going to take her away from Ricky. I felt sorry for him really, him and Rose were perfect for each other.

"Here we go little one, your family wants to see you."

I walk up the stairs and stand on the porch just outside of the open front door hearing everyone talking inside. Her injuries were extensive, she was covered head to toe in blood which had already started to congeal, and there was no way she would have survived. Even if Ricky had given her his blood earlier she still would have died.

Shaking my head I carry Rose over the threshold of our house, yes I said our house because she lived her to. The voices stop as I approach the lounge, it was kind of unnerving having everyone stop their conversations and focus all their attention in my direction. I had to stay strong, they didn't need to see me crumble tonight.

"How about we take her upstairs away from prying eyes, Chris?"

Ville appears by my side and starts to guide me towards the stairs. I was thankful he was here. I knew Rose wouldn't want to be checked over in front of everyone, she deserved at least some privacy in death.

"Thanks, Ville. But there's no use, she's gone."

Ville shakes his head as he pushes Rose's bedroom door open, "she's not gone till I give her the final check over Chris. You're too emotional right now, you could have missed something."

I place Rose gently onto the bed and step back allowing Ville to set about, he was the pro at this.

"Ricky's blood wasn't in her system long enough before he snapped her neck Ville, plus her injuries are extensive and deep."

"As I said Christopher you're too emotional, did Rose have any bruising around the neck area?"

I approach Ville and crouch down next to him, "of course she did."

He shakes his head and motions towards her throat. My eyes widen upon seeing the bruises had all but vanished.

"That's not possible, his blood wasn't in her system long enough."

He chuckles, "your eye was trained to the extensive injuries and all the blood, but bruises heal faster than cuts and lacerations. It might take some time but it looks like Rose is coming back Chris."

I stand up and start to pace around the room. How could I have been so stupid as to not see the bruises healing? Here I was thinking the worse when Ricky's blood was working.

"Ville, how did Ricky's blood take hold so quickly then?"

The older vampires shrugs his shoulders and stands up before clicking his neck to the side, "I'm not a firm believer in all that true loves kiss bringing people back from the brink of death like in the movies, but maybe Ricky and Rose's love is stronger than either of us first thought. Open your mind and think back to your education on vampires."

I rack my memory, going back over Ville's extensive education and training when I was a newborn. Then something clicks in my head and I feel even stupider for not conning on earlier while Ville remained calm and I was a headless chicken.

"Rose and Ricky are mates, so that's why his blood took quickly."

Ville claps his hands together, "now how about we update everyone downstairs? I'm pretty sure her lover boy will be relieved."

I couldn't wait to tell everyone the good news. I follow after Ville back downstairs; he decided to let me take the lead, on the whole, breaking the good news.

Again the conversations stop and all the attention turns to Ville and I. He goes to Lauri's side leaving me to take the spotlight.

"Why do you look happy Chris?"

Ryan raised a good question. Vinny hushes him and continues to stroke his hair while his head rested on Vinny's lap.

"Rose isn't dead, but she also isn't alive. We're going to have another addition to our little undead family."

Everyone cheers and erupts, everyone except Ricky who looks up at me with wounded puppy dog eyes.

"How is that possible?"

Ville clears his throat, "I had to knock some sense into Chris about why Rose's body accepted your blood in record time before you snapped her neck. Not many vampires get to find their mates Ricky, but congratulations Rose is your mate."

Ricky's eyes light up, though he still masked his many emotions. This was going to be a very long night indeed.

ROSE

Opening my eyes, I don't feel any pain. Am I dead? Is this was dying feels like? The last thing I remember is seeing Chris and Josh's distressed faces before Ricky snapped my neck and killed me. I didn't even get to say goodbye to anyone.

Death felt strange, death felt comfortable and spongy. Maybe I was in heaven. Bringing my arms up in front of my face I'm shocked to see no traces of any injuries, but also surprised as I recognise the oversized jumper as being Ricky's. I wasn't wearing this in the warehouse.

Sitting upright I blink a few times allowing my eyes to adjust to the low lighting in the room, I wasn't in heaven or hell but in my bedroom at Chris's house. How the hell did I get here? How the hell had I cheated certain death?

Throwing back the covers that had been tucked around my body a little too snug for my liking I scramble out of bed and nearly stumble over my own feet, I guess getting out of bed too fast would do that to you. Using the bedside table as support I'm able to right myself.

I shuffle slowly across the room taking each step one at a time like I was learning to walk for the first time. My head felt foggy and sometimes dizzy. What was happening to my body? One second I felt wide awake but now I was starting to feel tired like I wanted to go back to sleep.

Standing in front of the mirror a large gasp escapes my lips as I take in the sight in front of me. There wasn't a single cut or bruise on my body, in fact, my skin looked flawless and almost porcelain. But that wasn't the gasping moment, the gasping moment came as I took note of the fact my eyes were now black and when I opened my mouth I saw fangs. I wasn't dead or alive, I was undead and very much so a vampire.

"Rose, what are you doing out of bed? You should be resting."

I snap my head towards the bedroom door where Chris stood holding a glass in one hand and wearing a look of surprise on his face.

"I'm a vampire now."

He nods and closes the door behind him, "yes you are Rose. But I need you to drink this blood to complete the transition. Can you do that for me?"

He closes the space between us and I take the glass if I was a vampire now I was going to have to get used to my new diet of blood. I gulp the liquid down and wipe my mouth afterwards, the tiredness I felt minutes earlier starting to fade away.

"I'm a vampire now Chris, what am I going to do?"

Tears stream down my cheeks as I collapse to my knees on the floor. Chris drops to his knees and pulls me into a hug, resting my head against his chest and starts to stroke my hair soothingly.

"I'm going to teach you everything Rose, you're never going to be alone. I thought I lost you in the warehouse, I couldn't lose another shot at happiness."

Wiping away my tears with the sleeves of Ricky's jumper I look up at Chris, the person who'd been more of a father to me than my birth father. I was ready to pack it all in that night he found me, but he'd convinced me to stay with him and there was no way in hell I was going to lose my own happiness and feeling of belonging.

"You made me feel like I belonged somewhere Chris, I love you so much. When I woke up the first thing I saw was your distressed face through that glass window, and I was upset I never got a chance to say goodbye to you."

Chris chuckles "look at the two of us being soppy. Do you want to know why you came back, Rose?"

I nod, "Ricky gave me his blood."

Chris shakes his head, "in normal cases Ricky's blood would have to be in your system longer before you died to even be in with a chance of you coming back a vampire, but there are exceptional circumstances that don't happen very often to vampires Rose. You and Ricky are mates; you were made for each other so his blood worked faster to heal you so that you could come back to him."

The second Chris mentioned Ricky's name my whole body warmed up. Were we really mates? Was it fate that brought us together? He snapped my neck.

"Err Chris he kind of killed me."

"Ricky's distraught downstairs, Oli had full control over him. The second Oli knew you were never going to be his he ordered Ricky to kill you so that neither you nor Ricky would ever be happy again."

That was a lot to take in, even though I already knew Ricky wouldn't just kill me like that if he had control over his own body. Oh, my god, he had to watch himself kill the girl he loved. None of this was his fault, I needed to see him.

"Can I see him, Chris? Pretty please."

Chris sighs, "as long as you promise me he won't stress you out. You're a newborn vampire who still needs to rest."

I do the whole cross my heart and hope to die gesture, which in this circumstance didn't really feel appropriate I mean since I kind of already died and my heart was no longer beating. Chris rolls his eyes and gets up off the floor, but not before helping back to the bed. I sit at the end of the bed and watch him leave the room.

A couple of minutes pass before the bedroom door opens again and Ricky enters keeping his eyes fixed on the floor like it was the most fascinating thing around. I clear my throat, wanting my boyfriend or I guess the better term 'mate' to look at me and see that I was very much alive.

"Ricky I'm not mad at you. That wasn't you back there."

He shrugs his shoulders in defeat, "I was a prisoner in my own head Rose, I tried so hard to take back control of my body but I failed. I killed you."

I sigh, "But your blood saved me. According to Chris, we're vampire mates which means you're going to have to look at me someday Olson because you're stuck with me for a very long time."

Ricky actually looks up and my heart breaks seeing his distraught face. I open my arms and in an instant, he falls into them sobbing.

"I'm so sorry Rose, I love you so much. I didn't give you a choice and now you're a vampire—"

"I forgive you, Ricky. Yes, I didn't have a choice, but I would have had to make this decision one day. Because I love you and only you."

I cup his chin forcing him to make eye contact with me, before crashing my lips down on his taking him by surprise. After a few seconds, he kisses back, it looked like the sob show was over and we could move on with our lives.

"You do know you're stuck with me forever and ever Ricky."

He chuckles, "I'm going to treat you like a queen. The others will be thrilled to see you awake."

Oh my god for a second I forgot about everyone else waiting downstairs for me to get my lazy ass out of bed. Pulling away from Ricky I jump off the bed.

"I want to see them like right now."

"Are you sure? Chris wants you to rest."

I roll my eyes at Ricky's concern, "I already have one vampire dad, and I don't need a second one."

He throws his hands up in the air in surrender, "if Chris kills me I'm coming back to haunt you."

"Stop being dramatic, Chris would never kill you because he knows he would lose me."

I grab Ricky's hand and all but drag him out of the room.

Halfway down the stairs Ricky relaxes and entwines his fingers with mine, it was comforting since my nerves were starting to kick back in at the thought of seeing everyone again.

"Welcome to the undead family Rose."

Josh's voice booms out the second I take the last step. The vampire appears in the doorway grinning ear to ear like a madman before tackling me to the floor. It should have hurt me but it didn't.

"I missed you to Josh."

He helps me back to my feet and I have to stand in between him and a scowling Ricky.

"It's okay Ricky no harm done. I missed you to Josh."

Ignoring Ricky, Josh and I embrace in a friendly way of course.

"Do we all get hugs? Because I want one."

I make eye contact with Vinny over Josh's shoulder and smile at him.

"Come here Vinny, you can also have a hug."

Vinny cheers and runs towards me just as Josh moves away scared of being tackled in the process. Vinny was a hugger and a squeezer.

"Just because she's a vampire Vinny doesn't mean you can try to break her."

"Stop being a party pooper Chris it's just a hug."

Vinny releases me and I shoot Chris a thank you look with my eyes. He smiles and nods his head. This was my life now, this was my world, Ricky was my everything, and most importantly all these vampires were my family now and I wouldn't go back in time and change anything.