A/N: Words in italics are the lead-in from Richelle Mead's published work. She owns her stories and all her characters.
"I think...I think maybe we need to ask for some help with this," Adrian said.
"Can somebody finally tell us what's going on? Rose cut in impatiently.
Adrian took a deep breath. "What I'm about to say is going to change everything you think." He focused on Rose and I. "You two in particular are about to get your worlds rocked."
Rose didn't visibly react to the bombshell Adrian had just dropped. Her gaze traveled from Adrian, to Sydney, to Daniella, skimmed over Eddie, then finally locked on me. Usually our eyes could pass a thousand wordless messages in a moment, but right now I had no idea what she was thinking. The whole world seemed to hold its breath, waiting.
Finally, she snapped her attention back to Adrian and Sydney. "What do you need from us?"
Rose was right. This news had the potential to change our lives, but it had already impacted theirs.
The six of us spent the next hour brainstorming ways Sydney, Adrian, and Declan could live safely and inconspicuously. At some point, Sydney pulled out her laptop and began taking notes. By the end of the conversation - only the first of many, we were sure - both of the new "parents" had relaxed noticeably. Rose, however, radiated tension. I needed to get her alone.
We walked quickly but silently through the halls of Clarence's house, Rose leading the way. Once inside the privacy of our room, she skipped forward, throwing her arms out to the side and spinning in circles.
"Rose? How do you feel?" I asked, closing the door.
She stood still, facing me from across the room, and let out a contented sigh. "Like I could burst with joy."
Three long strides carried me to her, and I drew her close. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist for a hug that pressed every inch of us together. After a few moments, she pulled back just enough to rest her forehead against mine.
"What if it isn't true?" she asked.
"Even Adrian isn't crazy enough to make up something like this. Plus, we both saw how desperate Olive was to protect her baby."
"What if it isn't true for us?"
"Oh, Roza." One of my hands left her back and moved to cradle her cheek, encouraging her to look at me. "If someday we have a baby, it will be a miracle. Even without that miracle, we are living a happier life than I could have imagined before I fell in love with you."
Rose kissed me tenderly, then pulled back before it could build into something more heated. Her nose and forehead wrinkled in distaste.
"What's the matter now?" I asked, gently teasing.
"We have to start using birth control," she said.
"That's not so bad. Most people do."
"But it means I can't take you right here, right now, to celebrate our potentially life-altering news," she pouted.
My body thrilled at the idea of being with her, as it always did, but she had a point. Suddenly, there was only so far we could go without protection.
"Maybe Adrian has a condom. I could ask for one," I said, only half joking.
"Oh, comrade," Rose said huskily, "We're going to need more than one."
At that, I lost control. We would have to find a creative workaround. I kissed her fiercely, then tossed her onto the bed. She giggled and squirmed into place, beckoning me to join her. I growled playfully and crawled over her. Just before our lips met again, someone knocked on the door.
Rose hummed, though whether in amusement or annoyance I couldn't tell. I rolled off the bed to answer the door, checking that she was leaning innocently against the headboard before I opened it.
"Adrian," I greeted him in surprise. "Is something wrong?"
"No. I just thought you two would appreciate these." He handed over a box of condoms. I was shocked into a laugh, a genuine, lighthearted laugh.
Adrian's eyes widened. I suppose not many people besides Rose heard me laugh like that, and certainly not Adrian.
"Dimitri?" Rose called from behind me. "What's so funny?"
I tossed her the box. She turned it over in her hands and started laughing hysterically, pounding her feet against the mattress. Her laughter encouraged my own, and my deep belly laughs filled the small room. Leaving a bewildered Adrian at the door, I walked back over to the beautiful woman waiting for me on the bed.
"Don't mind me," Adrian muttered. "I'll just leave you to it."
"Thanks, Adrian," Rose and I called in unison, not breaking eye contact to look at him. I heard the door close right before I pinned Rose to the mattress.