A Few Sips Ch. 10

The only thing better than being nearly four months pregnant with a baby that was doing its damndest to wreak havoc on her body, was getting to just over five months pregnant without anything further happening to threaten either her or the growing fetus. Domino spent twenty-one or so hours a day laying down with her head just slightly raised, and the other few hours, she was allowed to sit up a little more in order to eat and make trips to and from her bathroom. Dr. Trainor visited often, and she was constantly being bombarded with ultrasounds and questions. He seemed pleased with how her body was reacting to bedrest, and she was thankful that he hadn't had to put her in the position he'd mentioned to Mr. Hughes. She wasn't sure she would have been able to handle laying with her head tilted down for very long.

Samir spent time with her early each morning, and then in the afternoons unless he had an appointment. It seemed like there was a pretty good supply of clients, both human and non-human, that visited Vorhees each week. She knew he enjoyed his work for the most part, and she was pretty certain it was because it allowed him to meet his sexual needs and not worry about getting hurt. You couldn't get hurt when you lived life having what amounted to one night stands with women. Domino wished that her friend would be more open to starting a relationship with someone, but he wouldn't, he was very happy with the status quo.

Mr. Hughes also visited her, sometimes bringing up some of the paperwork he had to fill out with him so that he could sit at the desk in the room and make idle conversation with her while he worked. He had never been that into computer systems, and after a while, having watched him take pen to paper so often, Domino had started to toy around with her computer to develop a system that would better suit his needs and make certain things flow more efficiently. In the last few weeks, he had started to hand certain parts of the running of the spa over to her to transfer to the computer, and she had enjoyed teaching him how to use the computer program that she'd made. What had been done just to humor her at first had turned into something that he had told her would make things much easier for him in the long run.

It was nice to feel useful after weeks of moping around on her bed, bored out of her mind. She'd watched movies and knitted a baby blanket and she was three fourths of the way through a charcoal colored tweed sweater. Shi had been nice enough to make a few trips into Toronto to get her some knitting supplies because she'd left her things in Vermont, in the apartment that was still being paid for, though she had no idea if or when she would ever return to it. Eventually, she would have to deal with it, but she didn't want to think about it now. She also wasn't working anymore, Mr. Hughes had taken care of that for her. When they weren't sure if she would even regain consciousness, he had sent an email under her work account to her employer resigning from her position. When she'd first found out about it, she'd been very angry. The choice to quit should have been hers, but she knew why he had done it. She still missed the work, but now that Mr. Hughes was having her help him with Vorhees, she at least got to do something besides get stuck in her own head all day.

Faeron visited, too, often with Dr. Trainor, and sometimes alone. He was kind to her, and she knew that things were going well with his work at the spa. He was spending a lot of time with Mr. Hughes learning the background workings and he apparently asked a lot of questions, wanting to know as much as Mr. Hughes would tell him. His interest seemed sincere, and while they were still very weary of him, there was a touch of trust in the wood elf. She had even shown him the computer program that she'd created to help streamline some of the work. Domino no longer watched his appointments, not since that one time, and she knew that they were going well. Shi and Deandra were most often his chaperones at this point, and there had been no complaints from any of the clients that had been a recipient of his services.

Alexandru was still away, and he hadn't contacted them, not even once since he had left. That was what bothered Domino the most. Why hadn't he called? What was taking so long? His sire was a little reclusive, Faeron had tried to reassure her, but Domino was not happy about the wait. She wanted her vampire back, she wanted him here if something were to happen to her. She wanted to know that the baby would have its father when the time came. Faeron had told her the gender, but she had no intention of telling anyone else, she had wanted Alexandru there for that decision, but he wasn't back, and she had no idea how much longer it would take him to get home.

Even more amazing than getting to five months pregnant was knowing that by the time Halloween rolled around this year, she had hit the 26 week mark and was feeling pretty good about her baby's chances to survive. Halloween was her favorite time of year, which had always surprised Jenna because Domino had refused to ever go out to any parties or clubs. She had resisted even participating in her apartment complex's trick or treating. The thought of having to open her apartment door over and over had been entirely too much for her. Instead, Domino had spent more Halloweens than she wanted to count standing by the front window and stretching her neck here and there to spot the kids and adults walking through her neighborhood wearing their costumes.

A few weeks before, she had approached Mr. Hughes and asked if the staff at Vorhees had ever had a Halloween party, and he had smiled at her, humored by her question. "Halloween is full of people dressing up and pretending to be non-human. It tends to be a little non-sequitur to celebrate Halloween." He explained, and Domino had nodded and then given him a million and one reasons that she wanted to throw a party anyway.

He had been resistant, apparently having no appetite for chocolate, which she assured him spoke volumes about his constantly sour mood, nor did he have a desire to see people bobbing for apples, to which she had just rolled her eyes and said he didn't get it because he'd never done it. In the end, she'd simply told him that it was her favorite holiday, and it could well be her last, and she wanted to celebrate it, she wanted to celebrate something.

Mr. Hughes had eventually handed her his credit card and told her that if she was going to plan a Halloween party, to make it worth it, and that he would re-organize the schedule to allow for his employees to be available for the party.

"It's going to be a costume party." She had told him as he'd walked to the door, her hand already on her laptop.

The look he'd sent her way before leaving had been akin to torture. Domino had only smiled and connected to the internet and started ordering everything that she would need to turn Vorhees Spa, or at least a few rooms of it, into the proper setting for a very spooky, and fun, Halloween party.

The morning of the party, Dr. Trainor had been called to give Domino a thorough evaluation. Samir and Mr. Hughes had stayed close by, wanting to know the verdict as to whether or not Domino could be up for a longer period of time during the night's festivities, and they had been pleasantly, but cautiously assured that Domino's body was reacting well to the medication regimen that she was on, and that one night in a wheelchair should not have any adverse affects to her health.

Domino was excited, it was better than she'd hoped for, she'd actually made sure one area of the downstairs dining room would be clear for a chaise lounge to be brought in to have her lay on. Just because she couldn't get up, she was not willing to forgo the party herself! So knowing she would get to sit in a wheelchair was fantastic! She couldn't wait to see what Mr. Hughes and the others dressed as. She had asked them all to keep their costumes a secret from her, she had not wanted to know what anyone had come up with. She had wanted to be completely surprised. Her own costume, she had ordered online and had kept it secreted away under her bed so no one could see it and spoil things for her.

After the doctor had left, after yet again declining their offer to come to tonight's Halloween party, Domino had made Samir sit and watch several Halloween movies with her. She'd started out with Hocus Pocus, and then had settled into an old Dracula movie that she liked, a black and white one that had made her television companion laugh repeatedly. Deandra had come in at one point, something white in her hands that she worked on diligently during the movie that Domino couldn't quite make out, though it looked like one of those old-fashioned cravat type things.

Lunch was soup and sandwiches and Domino ate with zeal, she was hungry so often now she often told Samir that she could give him a run for his money. After lunch, she was starting to get anxious, she had a phone beside her that she constantly used to contact Shi, who was in charge of getting all of the decorations in place for that night. She wanted everything to be perfect, and the tall, black haired woman had a taste for decoration. Between the two of them, she knew that everything would come together just as she planned it. Then, around five pm, Shi spent some time upstairs helping Domino get ready for the party before going to her own rooms to change into her costume.

When it was finally time to go down to the party, Domino was impatiently watching the second hand of the clock on her wall tick away. It seemed like time slowed down and then stopped at some point, it was taking so long for seven pm to hit, but then she heard footsteps outside of her door and watched as it opened and Mr. Hughes walked into the room. She saw the black wheelchair he pushed inside first, and then looked up at him and frowned. She was going to kill him.

You in a suit is hardly a costume." She huffed, folding her arms in front of her.

"Wait for it." He spoke in a deep voice, she could feel the humor in his words.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on, and then he put his hand out the door and came back in with a black fedora style hat that he placed on his head.

"Oh. My. God." She started laughing when suddenly, Samir was at his side, dressed identically.

"It's 110 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas..." Mr. Hughes smiled his lopsided grin and turned to Samir, who was smiling more like an idiot.

"A half a pack of cigarettes," He pulled a beaten up looking pack of them out of his suit pocket, "It's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."

Then, as Domino covered her mouth to hide the fit of giggles she had fallen into at hearing them quote 'Blues Brothers,' both men looked at each other and said, "Hit it."

She was certain that even with the additional oxygen being pumped into her lungs through the cannula in her nose, she would never be able to breathe again. Even after Samir had sauntered farther into the room, rolling the chair in with him, she couldn't even look at the two of them. She'd expected something more...non-human, but they'd dressed up as Jake and Elwood. It was a movie that she remembered Samir putting on his top ten favorites during one of their many long conversations.

"I hate you both, you are the worst." She groaned as she felt tears fall down her face, this had been so unexpected, and great. And she couldn't stop laughing.

"And all you did was dress up like, what are you dressed as?" Mr. Hughes cocked his head at her costume.

"Dude, I'm Selene, from Underworld? See, my blue contacts, and I'm wearing a wig. Underworld? No? Oh, man, you are both terrible." Domino chuckled and let Samir help her sit up.

"Is this another non-human movie?" Mr. Hughes frowned, he really did hate her affinity for them.

"Hecks yes. I can't believe you don't know it. And I had a hell of a time finding leather pants that would fit me and my big fat stomach. Not to mention this jacket. You spent so much money on this outfit!" Domino chuckled as they took in what she was wearing, from the long black trench coat to the fitted leather pants and leather undershirt. She wore black calf-length boots and there were two wooden spikes hooked to the sides of the undershirt. She thought the looked awesome, and it was completely lost on these two.

"What is she?" Samir asked, an eyebrow raised at the wooden spikes.

"Selene is a vampire hunter." She let her smile widen slowly as she looked up at them with her eerie crystal blue contacts.

Samir snorted and Mr. Hughes shook his head at her, "You really are the worst, Domino."

"I am not. I look awesome." She assured them as Samir picked her up and deposited her carefully in the chair. Her pump and the bags of blood and platelets were connected to a pole that was attached to the back of the wheelchair, and they soon were walking her down to the elevator that would take them to the party below.

"The food arrived?" She asked, clasping her hands in front of her as she was pushed onto the elevator.

"Yes, an hour ago, the caterers are already preparing to serve the appetizers. People have started to arrive." Mr. Hughes nodded, he knew she was nervous, she wanted this to go well.

"The fog machine got set up? I know that-."

"It's all set up, turned on, and creating quite the creepy atmosphere in the library, Dom." Samir explained before she could finish.

"The apples, please tell me you bought the apples." She looked at Mr. Hughes, worry in her eyes.

"The apples are already bobbing, Dom. You can stay calm, it's all been seen to." He told her, a hand on her shoulder as the elevator moved down to the first floor.

Domino sighed, staring at the door as it slowly opened before her. Shi and Deandra were both standing there. Shi had worn a Snow White costume, albeit with a slightly shorter skirt than the original Snow White had worn in the cartoon. Deandra, beside her, was dressed as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. They both looked amazing and she nodded at them both.

"You both look awesome! I love it!" She felt happy, happier than she had in a while, and she couldn't wait to see what others at the party were wearing.

Domino didn't have to wait long, when she was rolled over to the door of the library, she saw Faeron standing just inside, and the long brown robe with the tan colored underclothing and light saber in his arm, that he was holding like a cane, made her roll with more laughter. They had really went out of their way to make tonight special for her, and she knew why. She'd seen her reflection in the mirror lately, she knew she was paler than she used to be, and that her hair wasn't as thick as it had once been, she knew her body was slowly getting starved by her baby.

"We thought that maybe we shouldn't just call this a Halloween party," Mr. Hughes said as he rolled her to a stop in the middle of the room crowded with people, "It seemed fitting to give you a baby shower, like you humans tend to enjoy."

Domino looked up at him confused for a moment as a few of the people in the room parted to one side, and others, including Piltrum, whom she'd met when she first came to Vorhees months ago, dressed in a toga, of course, stepped to the other. There was a table piled high with gifts, all wrapped in baby type paper or put into bags. There were even several diaper cakes on the table and she gasped as she took it all in. Tears were falling down her eyes as she looked up at Mr. Hughes and her other three close friends, this was definitely too much to take in.

"Thank you." She whispered in a choked voice and Deandra came forward and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, Domino. This place has been filled with excitement the last few weeks getting ready for tonight. Everyone is happy and glad that you're here. Enjoy tonight, oui?" Deandra kissed her cheek before stepping back and waving an arm at the decorations around them.

"I can't even, I don't know what to say." She shook her head, in awe. Everyone around her looked to be enjoying themselves, eating and drinking, dressed up. There were people that she'd met and gotten to know a lot here, as well as those she knew only a little, and a few that she'd never seen before. The hot Asian couple in the far corner, dressed as a flapper and a gangster, yeah, they were new. But they were all here because she had wanted this.

"You don't have to say anything. Now, please. Show me how to bob for apples. I wanna do it before they've all got bite marks on them." Samir said close to her ear from behind and wheeled her in the direction of the large barrel in the room.

~*~*~*~

"You didn't sing today." Domino said a few hours later, her wheelchair pulled up to a table in the dining room. She'd just eaten a very tasty lasagna and was now slowly making her way through a small serving of tiramisu.

"No, I didn't. You were very busy, and I had plenty to attend to." He looked around the room at them.

"I thought Shi and Deandra did the work?" Domino frowned at him.

"They did the majority of it. But when you started ordering supplies, they needed help getting everything unpacked and organized. I'm pretty sure you are solely responsible for the yearly profits to a great number of holiday stores this year." He frowned at her, he had been the one to pay for it all.

"But that is what is awesome about holiday decorations. You use them one year, then you put them up and you get to use them again, and again. It's brilliant really, an investment that continues to give back." She tried to console him.

"Don't even think about decorating for Thanksgiving." He grumbled and she laughed.

"Whatever, I'm just in it for the pie in November." Domino didn't even want to think about Christmas, December seemed like an awfully long way away and she didn't want to get sucked down that hole of terror.

"You did a good job here. I think it brought some of us a little closer, the employees seem to be enjoying themselves." He looked around them, there was a lot of laughter in the room right now, and she really was responsible for all of it.

"Who are the two over there by the window? I haven't seen them before." She whispered, trying to nod over at them without making it look obvious.

"That's Wei and Shu Lotus. They're the dragons I told you about." He smiled at her.

"They are so hot."

He chuckled at her whispered words, "The little boy and girl, the ones dressed up like a pony and a ninja, those are Wei's twins, with Anya."

His words made her eyes widen and she looked at the children that were running around amongst another group of children. She hadn't realized that Anya had even more children.

"She really did break the rules, didn't she?" She muttered, frowning as she looked back at the man she felt had become her best friend, well, besides Alexandru.

"Domino."

"Hey, I can have an opinion."

"In this case, Anya wasn't really given a choice. Dragons can be somewhat...persuasive." He said quietly as he looked across the room to find Wei looking back at them. He nodded in their direction, Wei nodded back. Shu was watching the children closely, as she always did. That ever present, protective aunt.

"Fine. I won't tack this onto the list of ways she wronged you, but she's still not off my shit list, Arc." She assured him, and he grinned softly at her, it was amusing to have this little human girl angry on his behalf, protective of his feelings in a way that no one had been in a very very very long time.

"I will defer to your shit list, Dom." He nodded at her, looking back around the room as he did so.

"You need a girl who makes you feel whole, not one who makes you feel like you still have to keep a room full of naughtiness under her nose." Domino whispered to him and he frowned, he'd just seen something, but her words made him look at her in poorly masked surprise.