I heaved drily over the toilet. It couldn't be true. But I had all the symptoms. Me. Rose Hathaway.

Pregnant.

This couldn't happen. Unless, of course, by some miracle, I'd hooked up with some male Moroi. (Which I had not.)

Everything had just started working out for me: I'd been acquitted of a murder I hadn't committed, became Lissa's guardian, and had my relationship with Dimitri work out.

But I'd also had my hardships: I'd been shot and almost died (again), and I'd lost one of the people I love… Adrian. I sighed.

And now I had to tell Dimitri.

There was no way to explain this. Hell, I didn't even understand it.

I knew I should tell Dimitri first, but I needed to talk to Lissa.

But of course, with her being queen and getting ready to go to Lehigh, she was almost always busy. But as I was her top guardian, I had access to her at pretty much anytime.

I got up off the bathroom floor and swigged some mouthwash. I pulled on my grey wool coat before leaving my apartment. I stepped into the cool late August night. Don't get me wrong, it was still at least 60 but I had a chill. Probably shock. I wasn't sure.

I didn't live far from Lissa (I couldn't as her guardian), but it still took a couple minutes. I pulled open the door to her parlor and walked over to the receptionist.

"Hello, Guardian Hathaway. You're not on duty tonight. What do you need?"

"I need to see Liss- um, the Queen." Still not used to that.

"Go on in. She's not busy." I saw her jot down the time and my name. I initialed before heading to knock on Lissa's door.

"Who is it?" I heard her voice.

"Rose." I said.

"Come on in." she said happily. I opened the door to see her over open suitcases and piles of clothes. Christian sat in a chair, looking comfortable in a pair of grey Bermuda shorts and a polo shirt. Lissa wore dark green shorts and a white tank top.

"Are you crazy?" Christian asked me.

"Really? You're still asking that?" I said as I shrugged off my coat and hung it on the hook by the door. I shivered slightly.

"I guess I'll go then." Christian stood up and walked over to Lissa, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Get out of here, Fire Boy." I smiled.

"Maybe I'll go bug your boy now." Christian said. I stuck my tongue out at him. He went over to the doors and exited. Now just Lissa, me, and one of her other guardians, Britta Price left.

"I can take this, Britta." I said.

"Ok. I'll go tell, Aleksander. How long will you be?"

"Unsure. I'll phone you when I'm done." I said.

"Ok. See you, Rose. Queen Vasilisa." She nodded and bowed before exiting.

"So what's up?" Liss returned to her clothes. I sat down on the bed.

"I'm pregnant." She dropped the blouse she was holding.

"What?" She said tightly.

"I, Rosemarie Hathaway, guardian of Queen Vasilisa Sabina Rhea Dragomir, am pregnant."

"Who's?" She choked out. I needed no bond to know she thought I was crazy.

"Dimitri's, I'm assuming."

"B-but… That's impossible!" she stumbled over her words.

"Like I didn't know that!" I said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I have all the symptoms. And I took a test. Not from a store in Court though." I said.

"How the hell does that even happen?" she asked.

"I don't know!" I sighed, falling back onto the bed. "But it's happening before our very eyes."

"How are you going to Dimitri about this?" she asked.

"Any ideas on how to tell anyone about something that shouldn't be possible?" I sighed.

"Same way you told me? Blunt and to the point. True Rose-Hathaway style."

"I guess that's the only way. I gotta go find Dimitri."

Good, God! I was terrified. I'd faced down countless Strigoi and a cunning, backstabbing murderer, but I was terrified by a baby. An unborn baby, no less.

"Call Aleksandr. Let Britta have the rest of the day off. OK?" she said. "And, Rose? No matter what, I'm here for you."