Young Guardian Trilogy by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (the lemonade war series .TXT) 📖

asleep in the chair because I didn’t hear when the doorbell buzzed. I rose to answer it only to see Aaron’s smiling face.
“Heard you were sick.” He said, hugging me and kissing my cheek.
My heart did a double-thump.
“Yeah. I have been all week.” I told him, heading back to the balcony. He followed.
“What’s wrong with you?” He asked, worried.
I looked at him. Always the worrywart, I thought. I shrugged, sighing. “I don’t know.”
“Have you –?”
“No, I haven’t seen Dana, yet, so don’t ask!” I snapped, which made him step back.
“Whoa, calm down.” He said with a smile. He took my hand. “I’m only asking because I happen to care about you.”
I looked at his hand and squeezed it. “I know, Aaron.”
I turned away, my feelings getting jumbled up and confused.
“Listen. Why don’t I give you a back rub to make you feel better?” He suggested, making me turn to see his pleading, happy eyes.
I stood still while he started rubbing my shoulders. It felt so good; I was lost in moments. “That feels wonderful, Aaron. Thank you.”
His only reaction was to hug me from behind, pulling me close to him. He began kissing my neck. Suddenly, my thoughts were meshed with his, and we were back in the orphanage attic. Alone.
My eyes were closed, thinking of that special day. I snuggled into his embrace, unable to help myself.
“I will never stop loving you, my Ariana Moon.” Aaron whispered into my ear.
I opened my eyes, turning to look into his. I backed away. “I know, my Aaron Theodore, but we can’t.” I told him. “Not anymore. I’m married to Derrick now. I love him with my heart and soul. You know that. I thought you accepted that.”
He slowly grasped for my hand again, which he kissed. “I do accept it, but I can’t begin to tell you how much I still care about you.”
“Caring about me is one thing.” I replied. “But loving me in a way you want to love me is another.”
He was silenced, his gaze now to the ocean below. He stood to the railing and looked down. I stood to stand beside him.
“I admit; I love you, too, but in a different way.” I said softly with a tear in my eye. “You’re my savior, you know that? Your love saved me from destruction.”
Aaron looked back at me with a thoughtful expression on his face. He placed his palm on my cheek. Closing my eyes, I snuggled into it.
“Don’t ever forget that.” Aaron whispered. “I will always be there for you; no matter what.”
With that, he kissed my lips. My heart did another double-thump and I wanted to cry.
When we parted, he saw the tear ready to escape from my eye, wiping it away. “Don’t cry, Ariana. Please don’t cry.” He pulled me to him and hugged me tight.
“Hold me, Aaron.” I whispered into his chest. “Just like old times.”
“Just like old times.” He whispered back, kissing my forehead.
The air was still and silent. The only sounds were from the waves on the sand, rushing to meet the shore. Inside, I felt like a little girl again, and my memory took me back to that special day. The day we made love and produced a special child, a daughter, Kelina Erin.
Once again, I felt safe in my Aaron Theodore’s arms.
We heard the door buzz open, startling us out of our wonderful daydream. Quickly, we parted, stepping away from each other.
Derrick found us on the balcony. He saw Aaron, pausing for a moment before turning to me. “How are you feeling?” He asked me.
Aaron stood silent.
“Better, thanks to Aaron.” I said, sniffing. “He came to comfort me.”
That’s when Derrick saw the drying tears in my eyes. “Have you been crying?”
I nodded slowly. “Yes, but I’m okay now.”
Aaron smiled. He grasped my hand. “Take care of yourself, Ariana.”
“I will. See you later.” I told him before he left us.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Derrick asked. “What was he really doing here?”
“He was worried about me, as usual.” I said, exiting the balcony and lying down on my bed. “He heard I was sick and decided to see what was wrong. That’s all.”
Derrick nodded, sitting next to me. “Why were you crying?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess being Earthbound is harder on me than I first thought.” I closed my eyes, feeling a headache coming on. He took the opportunity to kiss my lips.
I opened my eyes to see his boring into mine. He looked so loving and caring; it was hard to imagine him being the same beast I met years ago.
“Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll find the kids and see what trouble they’re getting into.”
I nodded, shaking my head and saying sarcastically. “I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.”
He frowned now. “Are you sure you don’t want to see Dana or Love Joy?”
“I’m sure. It’s probably just the flu or something.” I told him. “I have to let it run its course.”
“If you’re that sure, I guess I feel okay leaving you to rest.” Derrick gave me one more kiss. I felt the usual zing when his lips met mine, telling me I made the right choice after all. “I love you, Ariana.” He told me.
I smiled, feeling my heart fill with love for him. “I love you, too Derrick.”
Chapter:
Motherhood

Not only was I sick with something I didn’t know about, but I felt depressed. It was two months later and we were still at the System. My family went back to Hill View, leaving us on our own.
It would seem nothing was going right for me my first month of being married. I thought everything would be perfect for us. Little did I know how hard learning to control my power was going to take so much out of me?
Both Shane and Derrick were oblivious to Luna’s and my depressions. At least, I thought they were. We moped around the System like lost souls, just running on automatic. I didn’t want to do anything at all, not even get out of bed.
My head was pounding, my stomach didn’t want to keep anything down, and I was beginning to eat constantly. The waiters in the Café thought I was nuts, and the young waitresses wondered how I stayed so thin after eating so much. For a while, I felt dizzy, too.
Kelly and Bradley, not to mention Aimee and Aaron, were concerned, but I always told them I was fine. I think Kelly knew something was up, but I kept it to myself.
One morning, I awoke feeling nauseous. Heading to the bathroom, I saw everything I’d eaten the previous night in front of me in no time. I felt my head, but it didn’t feel hot.
Something was wrong, only I didn’t know what.
“Ariana, are you okay?” Derrick’s concerned voice interrupted my thoughts as he handed me a wet washcloth to put over my forehead.
I couldn’t answer with words, because that coming-up feeling was back. I nodded, though.
What was wrong with me? I thought.
“Why don’t we go see Lady Doc?” Derrick helped me up off the floor.
Reluctant, I allowed him to take me down to the clinic after I washed up. He held my hand on the way.
Dana Swanson saw my condition and gawked. “Uh-oh, what’s wrong?”
“That’s what I want to know.” I told her, racing to the sink before I could make another mess on her clean floor. “Ugh, I feel terrible.”
Dana quickly sized up the situation. “Derrick, go wait in the other room. I have to talk to her alone.”
Derrick was reluctant to go. “You’ll tell me what’s wrong the moment you find out?”
Dana smiled. “I promise, now go.”
He left and she looked at me.
“How long have you been nauseous?” Dana asked, checking my body for some kind of clue.
“For about two months now.”
“Hmm.” She said simply, listening to my chest. “Lay down, I wanna check something.”
I obeyed and she pressed on my abdomen. “What are you doing?”
“Just going on a hunch.” She gestured me to sit up again. “How have you been feeling since you guys married? Besides the nausea.”
“Well, I’m hungry a lot, but can’t seem to keep it down.” I told her. “I have these weird cravings I can’t control, like peanut-butter and mayonnaise sandwiches.”
Dana made a face.
“It’s not funny, Dana. I mean, besides all that, I’m feeling depressed.” I replied. “I haven’t wanted to go anywhere, or do anything. This is really concerning me, and both Kelly and Derrick. Can you tell me what’s wrong with me so you can fix it?”
Dana shook her head and laughed. “Calm down, Ariana.” She playfully ordered me. “Your intense mood swings are beginning to get to me.”
I didn’t say anything. I just frowned.
Dana went to the cabinet and grabbed a cup, needles, and testing syringes. “What are you going to do with those?” I asked her.
“Nothing.” Dana smiled. “You are going to give me a specimen.”
I took the cup from her hands and shrugged. In a few minutes, I handed it back to her.
“There. Now what?”
Wrapping a tourniquet around my arm, she tapped my arm to raise a vein.
“Blood work.” She said, before I could open my mouth.
I hate needles. Always have; probably always will. I could never seem to get used to the pain.
After she’d put a bandage on the spot where she took blood, she tapped my leg. “If you’re okay, you’re free to go. I have to send the tests to the lab downstairs for analyzing. I’ll let you know the results before tonight.”
“That’s it?” I asked, incredulously. “I have to wait to see what’s wrong with me?”
She shrugged. “Hey, I’m just working on a hunch, okay. I may be wrong, so don’t knock it just yet.” She explained. “Meanwhile, bed rest for you until I say otherwise.”
I sighed, depressed. “What about the kids? Is whatever I have contagious?”
Dana laughed again. “I don’t think so. Just take it easy with them until I can call you with the results. You’re still in Fourth Floor, right?”
I nodded.
“Have your Romeo take care of the kids, okay?” Dana replied. She knew both Aimee and Aaron, who were here to take care of them in the first place, were going through training to be New Recruits. This left both Bradley Allen and Kelly in Derrick’s and my care.
I sighed again. “Yes, Doc.”
Her face turned dark.
I temporarily forgot – her father had been “Doc” here at the System.
“I’m sorry, Dana. I forgot.” I assured her. “I’ll leave now, and you’ll call me with the results later tonight?”
Dana Swanson was smiling in moments. “Sure thing, Ariana. Or should I call you Mrs. Reading now?”
I giggled. “‘Ariana’ will do for now, Dana.” I told her with a grin. “See you later.”
“See you.” Dana grinned as I left the clinic.
Derrick was reading a magazine when he heard the door open. “So, what’s wrong?”
“She took some tests of me, but I have to wait until tonight to get the results.” I told him. “Until then, I’m on bed rest.”
“That means we have to cancel dinner, doesn’t it?” Derrick sounded disappointed. I don’t blame him – we’d planned it for weeks now. Getting away from the world in order to spend some quality time before we went home to Hill View was just the thing we needed.
“I’m sorry, Derrick. Really.” I told him, taking his hand.