Rose POV

"What are you doing?" I ask Dimitri as he's peering around a corner. He looks back at me, a giant grin on his face and a finger on his lips, before looking back. I laugh at how dorky he is, but my laughter is short lived because he suddenly starts running away, dragging me with him.

We make it across campus without being seen and then into his building. Normally someone would ask why I'm here, making noise about how I'm just a student, not that I ever really cared. But today… there isn't anyone around.

He continues with his super sneaky routine, even though there isn't a need. If anyone asked, which they probably wouldn't, all he'd have to do is make up some excuse as to why he needs me in his room. But no. Dimitri has to be Dimitri. I wonder if it's his cowboy complex kicking in. He always has to help the poor damsel in distress.

Or maybe he just loves me.

We finally make it inside his room. He looks at me, a soft expression filled with love on his face, and I want to cry again. This man is the love of my life; he's the other half of my soul. I can't let him throw his life away, his career away… for me. They come first. Not me; not us.

Those damn tears start falling again.

I look away from him knowing that if I look at him I'll never be able to say what I need to. "I have to go, Dimitri. There isn't another option. Please, please don't make this harder for me than it already is."

He gently pulls my face up so our eyes are locked. "I love you, Roza. I love you so much it hurts," he whispers as he wipes away my tears.

"I know." I cry a little harder. "Dimitri, I love you. I will always love you."

"Then why are you trying to leave me?" His mask falls as he says the words and pain enters his eyes.

"I want to protect you."

"Protect me? Roza, protect me from what?"

"From me."

"Roza-"

"I will always love you. Always." I put my hand on his cheek and look so far into his eyes I can see his soul. "But this isn't about you or me. It's about-" A sharp, burning pain fills my body and my hand instinctively goes to my stomach.* Waves of nausea hit me one after another as I crumple to the floor.

"Roza!" Dimitri screams in shock and despair as he comes towards me.

"They're here," I gasp. "They've found me." My hand moves protectively across my soon-to-be-swollen stomach. What do we do?

"Who is here? Roza!"

The pain gets momentarily worse before another wave of nausea hits. I look up at him, in pain and fear, and tell him our worst nightmare has arrived. "Strigoi."

As soon as the word left my lips Dimitri transforms into the deadly Russian god everyone has heard about and fears. He looks at me and his demeanor changes slightly, softening just a bit. He makes sure I'm okay, gives me a stake, tells me to stay put, and leaves, screaming some Russian word down the hallway as he runs off to battle.

Buria.

I wonder what it means.

A/N *In the books when a Strigoi is near Rose's "Strigoi alarm" goes off [which is why she gets a wave a nausea]. For the purpose of this story, Rose's alarm goes off, but so does the baby's which is why she's in so much pain.