I stared at my painted fingertips as I waited for Lissa to come to her room to tell me the "good news," as she called it. She had said she wanted to wait for the right time, which was - puzzling. What could she possibly want to tell me? What could be better than this - this life right here?

I didn't know, but at that moment I really wished I could see what she saw right now. I didn't like surprises, especially when someone tells me I'll be getting a surprise.

To distract myself, I looked around the room. As usual, it was beautiful. All elegant royal green drapes that willowed down to sweep the crisscross wooden floor - which had a rose carved in every tile. The walls were decorated in beautiful golden patterns that I've never really bother to look at. Maybe they were roses, as well, but - I really don't know.

In the center of the room there was a huge king-size canopy bed - or should I say queen-size? - with a pale green comforter. On the wall space above the pillows was a rampant dragon.

What I was sitting on was a forest green love-seat that belonged more in the 1800's than in the twenty-first century! That was the Morois for you.

With a sigh, I rose up from the love-seat and traveled over to the bed and sat down.

Where is she? I wondered, checking my watch.

Almost three A.M. She was definitely late.

Usually, I was with her - being her main Guardian - but she had requested - demanded - I wait for her in her room. I had to obey the queen, she had told me.

She chose the worst time to order me around. This good news of hers was threatening her life.

Damn it! I thought, checking my watch again. She's still not here! I'm going to look for her.

I got up from the bed, fists clenched in anxiety, and started for the door, but as soon as I reached for the knob, it flew open.

"Lissa, you almost gave me a heart attack!" I said. "Where the hell were you? I was about to go looking for you! Please, don't make me do that again - I won't, even if you outright beg me!"

"Rose, Rose, calm down." Lissa cooed, trailing into the room, pale hair flowing in the breeze. "I told you I'd be a while. It was - just business. Nothing worth worrying about."

"Are you sure?" I questioned, closing the door behind her.

"Absolutely. Nothing is going to spoil my good news." She turned toward me with a sweet, fangless beam spread across her face.

My frustration and anxiety melted away with the sight of her smile, and I smiled back my lazy half grin that paled deeply in comparison to hers. I was just finally glad to be with my best friend - my soul sister. We may not be connected by spirit, but we would always be connected in the heart.

"I'm still waiting for that good news," I told her, pulling her fragile frame into my arms and tried not to break her as I hugged her.

She just seemed so…breakable. Much like glass.

Though she wasn't. She was fierce and stood up for what she believed in. Which was very hard to believe when looking at this fair-haired, pale-skinned beauty in a royal green pantsuit.

"You know, you can be so vicious yet at the same time so loveable." Lissa joked.

"You're not about to call me a Labrador Retriever, are you?"

"No. You smell too pretty."

"It's just that I look like a dog, right?" I joked back.

"No way!" She pulled her fingers through my dark tangled mane. "Too pretty. In fact, I wish my hair could be as curly as yours."

"And I wish my hair could be as shiny as yours." I thought for a moment. "I also wish I could get it as clean as yours."

"Right," Lissa said, pulling her hand back with an amused grin.

"It's true! I wouldn't touch my own hair if you paid me."

"Dimitri seems to like it okay. More than okay, really. He does love your hair." Lissa babbled.

"I just wish he was here." I murmured, my face falling.

I sat down on her bed and continued to stare at my nails, just as I had before Lissa arrived.

"He will be," Lissa told me, joining me on the bed. "Him and Christian should be here any day now. He's only been gone for about ten weeks. You've endured worse."

I remembered back to my time in Russia, when I had ventured out to kill a Strigoi. Dimitri was that Strigoi. Luckily, Lissa saved him. He's back to being that wonderful, beautiful Dhampir he once was.

"How much do you miss Christian, Liss?" I asked, meeting her eyes with my own.

She sighed and got up off the bed, walking over to the large window. She pulled back the drape that concealed the night and stared at the stars and the beautiful crescent moon.

"I miss him," she said. "You have no idea how much I miss him."

"I think I do, Lissa."

She released the drape and turned back to me with a sad smile.

"I guess you do, don't you?" She said.

I smiled back. "I do. Now, the good news?"

"Oh, yeah. Trust me, I didn't forget. I just forgot to tell you."

"Tell me what?" I pushed.

She smiled, then frowned, then smiled again. "I don't know if I can say it aloud."

"Say it, Lissa! You know I have problems with patience when it comes to things like this."

She hiccupped in a breath. "I'm pregnant, Rose!"

I froze.

Okay, not what I was expecting.

"Pregnant? With - with Christian's baby?" I stuttered.

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Of course it's Christian's baby. What did you think?"

"I was thinking it's Christian's baby." I shrugged.

"So?"

"So, what?" I asked.

Lissa frowned. "What do you think, Rose? How do you feel about this?"

"I'm happy, Rose. The Dragomir blood will continue!"

"It probably would have continued one way or another."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Jill?" Lissa smiled.

"Oh, yeah. I didn't forget, so don't start with me," I joked.

I was just glad Lissa and Jill were finally getting along. They were finally starting to warm up to each other. Lissa had discovered she and Jill had more things in common than she had initially thought. I was actually starting to get a little jealous of Lissa's newfound friend and half-sister.

"Did you tell her first?" I asked.

"No way! The first person I wanted to tell was my bestest friend in the world. She's not even here, anyway."

"When are you going to tell everyone the good news?" I wondered.

"After I tell Christian and Dimitri. Christian might be a little upset that I told you first, but I had to tell you. I can't keep things from you. I won't. Not if I don't have to."

"What do you mean, if you don't have to?"

"Nothing. I swear." Lissa assured me. "Now, what do you want to do? I'm totally free - surprisingly."

"Cry."

"You don't cry," Lissa reminded her. "Why do you want to cry? And do you want me to do it with you?"

"No, you don't have to. I want to cry because - as much as I hate to say it - Adrian's right."

"Right about what? I know you definitely chose the right guy." Lissa mused.

"Not about that." I waved my hand in dismissal. "Right about me. Being selfish."

"You're not selfish, Rose. You're pretty selfless. He only said that because he was jealous."

"No, Lissa. He's right. I'm selfish because I'm here experiencing my fairytale ending, while Sydney and the others were locked up. And he was right about Jill and what we've done to her."

"Adrian's not even here."

"I'm glad I don't know where he is." I smiled.

"Besides, Sydney and the others have been released. You don't have to worry about it."

I sighed. "You're right. Now all I have to worry about it Dimitri."

My smile disappeared.

"Rose…" Lissa placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll be alright." I assured her, putting my hand over hers. "So, what are you going to name the baby?"

"Oh, I can't think about names, yet." Lissa breathed.

"Why?"

"I haven't told Christian, yet."

"You haven't told anyone, yet, Liss." I reminded her.

"I told you." Lissa interjected.

"Liss, you had you have thought of some names."

"Okay, I'll admit, I did think of a few."

"Well, what are they?" I asked, bouncing up and down.

"I was thinking Osanna - if it's a girl."

"Osanna? Why Osanna?"

"You don't like it?" Lissa was absolutely horrified.

"No, no, it's not that, it's just - well - why Osanna?"

"It means, deliver us. I think it's beautiful." Lissa crossed her arms.

"I like it, Lissa. And now that I know what it means, it does sound beautiful." I admitted. "Now - if it's a boy?"

"Rowan."

"Rowan sounds cool." I nodded. "What about middle names?"

"Piper for the girl and Quinn for the boy."

"Osanna Piper Ozera and Rowan Quinn Ozera. Sounds…nice. I like it. I wish -"

I cut myself off.

I wish - what? I wish…

"I wish I could have what you have." I continued.

"What do you mean, Rose?"

"I wish I could have a baby." I admitted sheepishly. "I've never thought about it before. I've never wanted it before. But - now that you have it…"

"You want it." She finished. "That's completely understandable."

I shrugged. "No big."

"You sure?" Lissa pressed.

"Definitely."

And - thank God - the conversation ended there.