RPOV
A month after returning to the Academy I awoke to a nauseous feeling. I dashed into the bathroom, bent my head over the toilet, and heaved. Dry heaved. Weird. Very weird. I had felt the need to be sick, but nothing came out. My stomach still felt unsettled as I continued to sit in front of the toilet, ready for anything. But by the time my alarm went off nothing had happened. My stomach still didn't feel normal but it wasn't going to stop me from going to training; I wanted normalcy and Dimitri right now.

Training started off as usual three weeks later, the same yucky feeling occurring each morning. A beaming Dimitri was concealing his worry about how I somehow glowed while also looking so pale. We started off with the usual laps, but due to lack of food and whatever caused the unsettled feeling I had this morning, I collapsed on our fourth loop. I was shaking and sweating uncontrollably and I finally brought up last night's dinner. As soon as I started dry heaving the dizziness took over. Dimitri lifted me up and started running. I was about to protest going to the clinic when I blacked out as soon as I opened my mouth.

DPOV
I had been right. Rose had been sick and keeping it from me. With Rose in my arms I burst through the clinic doors and screamed for help, just as I had done many a time before. Panic and worry were coursing through me, clouding my vision nearly literally and certainly affecting my judgement.

"Guardian Belikov?" asked a calm but concerned Dr Olendzki. Her eyes landed on Rose and not even her own mask of professionalism could hide her concern and worry. "What happened?" she demanded while leading me to a spare bed in the far back of the clinic.
"I'm not too sure," I started, my ability to remain in control, speak steadily and evenly was gone with the consciousness of the woman I loved as I placed her on the bed. "We'd just started the fourth loop of warm up laps when she collapsed, shaking, shivering and sweating. Then she started vomiting. She blacked out in my arms. She's been pale all week."
Olendzki nodded and jotted down what she needed and wanted. She soon shut the door and pulled the blinds before turning to question me further. "You're her... partner, aren't you?"
I slowly nodded, unsure and scared of the direction she was heading in. "I am. Why?"
She answered my question with a question. "Have you noticed anything... off? Eating habits changed? Her stomach? Her breasts?"

I would say something like talk about awkward, but now wasn't the time. I was seriously considering what I'd observed. Especially over the beach trip. All those things had happened to some degree. Especially eating, she was eating more, and the healthy stuff she usually hates. Pickles had been a favourite. And peanut butter. She'd had peanut butter with or on nearly everything. And peanut butter covered pickles since coming back, she'd been obsessed with pickles covered in peanut butter.

"Her stomach has expanded," I conceded slowly.

I was not wanting to provide information if I wasn't sure about it. But yes, her stomach had expanded over the two weeks of break and since. Her training tanks that usually clung to her, Really clung this fortnight. Her training leggings had started falling even lower on her hips.

"Any hold around the waist has had to be loosened time and again lately," I added.
She nodded thoughtfully. "Has she... complained about sore breasts?"
"Not exactly," I admitted.

The thought of how tender they'd been over the beach trip came to me, making my cheeks flare with a shade of pink before I could control it. Olendzki looked uncomfortable and uncertain about her next question but asked anyway.

"Does she have any distinct period markers that you haven't noticed recently?" she questioned slowly.
"Y-yes...?"

Image after image of her 'period grumpiness' as I'd come to nickname her whinge session and expression that came once a month hadn't been present since before the cabin. She had been generally unwell but otherwise steady and happy, glowing. I'd simply taken it as her being free of the darkness, but it had been more... it Is more. I steeled myself for the question that was sure to come next.

"When was her last period that you know of?"
"Before the attack," I whispered. It couldn't be, it simply couldn't be. But then again, we weren't a normal pair of dhampir. Olendzki's expression turned to one I knew meant she'd come to the wrong conclusion. "If she's pregnant, Dr Olendzki, it can only be mine," I confessed defensively, protectively.
"Can you be sure?" she calmly shot back.
"I know her reputation, true, but I also know her. The two are complete, polar opposites."

I almost wish I'd been here to stop that reputation from forming. Only problem with that is I would have been barely 20 and falling for a 14 year old. Yeah... nuh, not the best idea.

RPOV
"Oh Roza," I heard that sexy, addictive, loving voice address as my eyes fluttered opened with great effort.
I groaned. "Dimitri!" I whinged. "Why the clinic?"
He came and sat on the edge of the bed, cautiously leaning over me. Nervousness, excitement, worry and wariness pulsed into me through the bond, as did love, the main catalyst for his crazy mix of emotions right now. "Roza, honey," he started uncertainly.
"Just tell me," I demanded, still feeling and sounding slightly groggy.

The images flashed in his mind before he could say the words. Me slowly bumping out with a baby. Then me holding a newborn. Back to the pregnancy image then I was chasing after a giggling four year old girl. Back to the newborn image then me teaching a six year old boy how to punch. Another pregnant me image before a mini tween-age girl me and Dimitri cross was in Kirova's office with us bailing her out. A sixteen year old mini-Dimitri punching a Moroi boy who'd gotten too close to his little sister. Back to the baby image. And then the 'heaven forbid' image of the girl mini me and Dimitri cross bringing home her mentor after grad as her boyfriend, Dimitri and I kicking his ass before I went and had a right good laugh with our daughter over the irony. Then ending with newborn and toddler visions of the perfect children: Belikov-Hathaways.

"We're having a baby," said a beaming, glowing, radiating-with-pride Dimitri.
"We're having a baby?" I repeated numbly, completely shocked. It explained everything but.
Dimitri nodded. "We're having a baby. Unless..." sadness and sorrow filled him at the thought. I wanted to scream at him for the absurd, ridiculous, outrageous idea.
"Oh, hell no!" I exclaimed. "I know I'm not ready, but good god, I would never give up OUR baby. Don't be such a foolish idiot."

Some Moroi's who I knew wouldn't stay around, if I'd known way, way, way earlier? Highly likely. But Dimitri's miracle? The one conceived in battle? The one conceived through my resurrection, despite my momentary death? No way in hell. No way in hell could I selfishly take away something- someone- that made him so happy and excited. I could feel all the love he held for our baby, and it was so pure and powerful it was making me fall for him all over again, had I been standing it would bowl me over.

Dimitri grinned and chuckled as relief washed through him, the excitement taking over again. "I love you, both of you," he murmured before kissing me deeply.
"Belikov, I don't need to see you all over my best novice," interrupted Alberta.
"She's my best novice too, Petrov."
"She's your only novice, Belikov, you're prejudiced and biased in her favour."
"I'm right here!" I chimed, though I was really rather highly amused at Dimitri's insubordinate back-chatting.
Dimitri chuckled and kissed my cheek. Alberta fake coughed to interrupt us. "G-rated, or better yet, hands off, Belikov."
"Not happening, Petrov... well, in public of course, but not now. I've already made her a mother, what more can we do?"
"Dimitri!" I squeaked and slapped him. Seriously? Where had his anti-social quietness and meekness gone? Where was my Dimitri!
Alberta laughed. "Don't stress, Rose. I already heard you're pregnant and guessed only that shy, reluctant and obvious love-sick little boy beside you could be responsible."
"Do either of you know how pregnant?" I enquired. Dimitri was slightly offended by Alberta calling him a little boy. Though I could tell from our link that he'd already figured out how pregnant I was.
"No, Olendzki still wants to get that from you, Rose."
I sighed. "If my crap math is right for once, I'm already fifteen weeks."
Alberta's jaw dropped in disbelief while Dimitri grinned proudly. "That's nearly four months," she said when she recovered. "How did you not know?"
I shrugged. "It shouldn't be possible and I hate going to the clinic."

Three weeks later was graduation and I still hadn't told anyone in my group of my pregnancy. Only Lissa (and Adrian thanks to the damn tell-all auras) actually knew about me and Dimitri and our bond. Not even Lissa knew of Bubby-B and my bump was still subtle if I wore the right clothes; rumours hadn't started.

So the whole Academy was in for a shock after graduation. After the Moroi had graduated, the day after us novices had, Dimitri proceeded to take the mic off Kirova and stand front and centre to call me up. Suddenly nervous, I made my way to my boyfriend and baby-daddy's side. When I reached him, he took my left hand in his right and pulled me closer with his left hand and arm snaking around my waist. Dimitri briefly kissed my lips.
"You have no clue how long I've waited to do that in front of everyone," he whispered in my ear. I giggled. I, Rosemarie Hathaway, actually giggled. Did this man know what on earth he constantly did to me?
The graduates and guests gasped. Then someone, *cough* Christian Ozera *cough* called out. "About f****** time, Belikov."
"Oh shut up, Christian," I snapped.
"Roza," Dimitri teasingly chastised before continuing into the mic. Time for our major announcement... or two. "We have a couple of other announcements to make," Dimitri began. I took over, his arm was still around my waist, comforting and supporting me. I shifted out of my coat to proudly reveal the dress that clung and accentuated the bump Bubby-B was creating.
"We are expecting our first baby- and before you start, we don't know how come and for those sick-minded cynics out there, yes, I did consent because I do love Dimitri with all my heart."
Dimitri stole the mic back off me. "Just as I love her," Dimitri beamed. I could feel just how honest, true, pure and complete that love was. He looked at me adoringly before continuing. "I love my Roza so much that when she died in the rescue mission I literally gave up a part of my soul to bring her back to life. It has bound her to me."
I took the mic back. "I can feel everything Dimitri does, all his emotions and senses. I can hear his thoughts. I can even 'slip into' him, become him, for very short periods of time. My bond with Dimitri has replaced the bond I had with Lissa- Princess Dragomir."

We were met with confused, awed and shocked silence. Until one voice broke the tension. A voice I knew too well. A voice I had guessed wouldn't take this well, but Dimitri had assured me the voice would behave. My cynicism was well placed and my pregnant-lady bad feeling/ mother to be instinct had been right.

"How could you, you lying whore? And what about us Dimka, what about our marriage and babies?" Tasha Ozera screeched.
Dimitri shook his head and pulled me closer as he noticed the tears pool in my eyes. "How dare you," Dimitri responded with anger and disappointment coursing through him. His protective instinct was taking him over. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't comforting and a turn on. "I'll see you outside right now, Natasha," he ordered and led us out to the main quad. I refused to leave his arms, especially since he didn't like the idea of letting me out of his embrace.

"How can you believe her, Dimka? Have you even slept with her?" she demanded the second she saw us.
Dimitri's embrace tightened in an attempt to calm himself as much as to settle me.
"I don't see how that's your business, Tasha, but that's what we just honestly told the Academy. And of course I believe her, I can tell when she's lying. Besides, I know the only person she's ever slept with is me. And as for 'us'," he sneered, "there never really was an 'us'. I had hoped that the good friend you are would have been happy that I am. I'm ecstatic to be starting a family with my better half, and if you can't deal with that then I don't want you involved in my child's life or mine except distantly through Uncle Christian."

Oh god, I loved how he had so willing and happily let my friends take on familial roles in our baby's life. We seriously had gotten comfortable talking about Lissa, Mia, Christian, Eddie and even Adrian as Aunts and Uncles. So much so I'd nearly slipped a couple of times in front of Lissa and almost called her Aunt Lissa.

Tasha gaped. "You wouldn't," she hissed weakly and desperately.
"We would," I responded, purposely using the plural. If she was going to be a bitch about this then I didn't want her near my family, my baby especially. If Dimitri didn't want her near our baby, I was happy to go along with that. It was his choice to sacrifice a friend, and I wasn't about to stop him nor encourage him.
Tasha tried to plead with Dimitri through her eyes. He shook his head and led me away.

"I want to lie down," I admitted. My feet were killing me. And knowing I was pregnant made me all the more aware as to what aches and tingles and cramps meant what. When my feet ached as they did now it meant I'd been standing for too long and likely not shifting my weight as Bubby-B desired either. "And a foot massage," I pleaded pointedly. Dimitri caved, smiled and nodded. "Of course, Roza."

Mid-massage, Mom burst into my room. "Perfect knocking," I snorted.
"Roza," Dimitri warned as he hit a particularly bad point in my ankle.
"What did you want, Mom?" I asked after moaning in relief.
"To ask just how pregnant are you?"
I chuckled then moaned again as Dimitri relieved another particularly sore spot. "You seriously don't know how good that feels, Comrade," I sighed happily before answering Mom's question. "Would you believe me if I honestly told you nearly five months?"
Her jaw dropped, wiping away the awkward and uncomfortable look in her eyes. "Surely not?"
"Surely yes, Grandma Janine. Dimitri!" I moaned his name when it was meant to be a chastisement. He was far too good at this massaging business for his own good. "Either stop and we'll come back to this later or keep going and Mom can leave."
"I'm too young to be a grandmother, Rose!"
"Not my fault I was born when you were twenty."
"You could have waited until you were 21 before you gave me a grandchild."
I laughed. "Mom, we couldn't have foreseen This. But I guess we'll keep it in mind for baby two, won't we, Dimitri?"
My boyfriend blushed. "Uhh... keep what in mind, Roza?"
"Belikov! Do not make Rose a mother of two until she's at least twenty-eight!"
"Mom!" I whined. "You're asking for this baby to be alone for, like, nine years! That's not going to happen."
"Rose, you're eighteen! You're not ready for one, what will a second do?"
"Ensure they always have a playmate."
Janine Hathaway rolled her eyes before burning holes in Dimitri. "Belikov, I swear to god, if you can't keep it in your pants for the next four years-"
"Mother! When we have a second is up to us!" My eyes locked on Dimitri's before facing her again. "But we Will be having more than one if it's possible. Oh, and don't expect Hathaway to be included- there's too many Guardian Hathaways already."

That night we finished packing our dorms. The next morning we were sitting next to each other on the jet to Court. Surrounded by Lissa, Christian, Eddie and all the other dhampir graduates. A handful of Moroi were so accompanying us on this journey for various reasons.