Chapter three: Telling the Others

I woke up the next morning ridiculously early. Of course it wasn't my choice. No it was the little demon's inside me fault since I was rushing for the toilet… Again.

I hugged the commode as I hurled my dinner into it. Once I was finished I walked back into my room my hand on my stomach as if I were trying to sooth the child residing there. I looked out my window and groaned.

The sun was still out. Then I looked to my alarm clock on my nightstand it read six thirty in the Moroi morning.

Ick. I'm going back to bed. I thought tiredly.

Of course that didn't work when, just as I was burrowing under my comforter, my door opened to reveal my five-foot mother. She was already dressed as if she were going to the gym; her red curly hair was pinned so it was out of her face. She grinned at me and maybe it was just the early morning hours but she seemed a little sadistic.

"I see your pregnancy is going to be like mine in some ways." She said as she sat a brown paper bag on my desk.

I groaned again as I forced my tired body to sit up. I yawned and stretched as my mother came to sit next to me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said through the yawn.

Mom laughed as she crossed her arms. "I'd be up at exactly this time getting sick when I was pregnant with you." She said as her gaze softened.

I looked at her. "Oh yeah?" I asked as I looked at her. "I'm sorry." She looked surprised when I apologized.

"For what?" she asked me. I shrugged. "For making nine months of your life hell." She laughed and I mean really laughed.

Once she had calmed down she hugged me and kissed my forehead.

"Trust me Rose, those nine months where some of the best days of my life. Especially when you were big enough that I could feel you move." I smiled.

"Trust me Rose, there will be times you want to just lay down and die but they don't last. And when you hold that baby you'll forget all the pain and discomfort in an instant."

I looked down at my still flat abdomen. I really wasn't looking forward to being fat.

"Mom when did you start to show?" I asked her. I mean she was in a pretty good mood right why not pump her for information?

She thought about it for a minute then looked at me.

"Its different for everyone Rose, all the books say that about four months is when you really show but then again you've been training your whole life and your core muscles and abdominals are a lot stronger then someone who hasn't. You were really noticeable around my sixth month." I nodded. Ok so if my pregnancy was like hers I'd probably have just a small bump during my trials… would I even be able to take my trials?

"Now eat your breakfast and get in your training clothes. We have to make sure your ready to graduate."

I looked up surprised. "Huh?" She gave me a narrowed eyed look. Oh goodie Janine's back.

"You don't think just because your pregnant you won't take your trials do you?" I shrugged. "I don't see how I can, at least not safely."

Mom rolled her eyes in a gesture that seemed so… me. Maybe we were related.

"I've talked with Alberta we've thought of a way for you to do what you have to safely. Now come on." She thrust the bag into my hands and I opened it. I pulled the warm cup out and opened it.

"What the fuck is this?" I asked as I looked at the mush.

"Its oatmeal, Rose, its healthy. Now eat it and lets go."

I choked that crap-meal back, gross, and got dressed then followed my mother to the gym.

Just walking into that place made my heart break as memories came to mind.

Flashback Starts Now (Flashback is taken from Vampire Academy Page 64-65

"Hey Comrade how about we skip practice for the day. What'd you say?"

He laughed, and I'm pretty sure it was at me and not with me.

"Why is that funny?"

"Oh," he said, his smile dropping. "You were serious."

"Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for two days. Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed," I whined. "It's just one hour."

He crossed his arms and looked down at me. His earlier concern was gone. He was all business now. Tough love.

"How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?"

"I hurt like hell."

"You'll feel worse tomorrow."

"So?"

"So better to jump in now while you feel… not as bad."

"What kind of logic is that?!"

Flash Back Ends Now

I smiled at the memory of mine and Dimitri's first training session together.

I had already been tired and achy then and I hated him for making me do more exercising. Looking back now I wished I had treasured even that one hour with him. If only I had known what he future held maybe I could have protected him.

I put my hand to my belly and spoke softly to the baby inside me.

"This is where your daddy and I spent all our time." I tired to hold the tears back. "Maybe when your old enough you'll be training in here too."

"Rose." My mother broke me from my thoughts and I looked up at her to see Alberta standing on the mat.

Alberta smiled then went into lecture mode.

"Ok because of your condition we can't have you sparing so what you will do is keep weight training though we'll lighten it up a bit," Alberta explained. "You can keep running until you start getting too big then you walk, Rose, do you understand what I am telling you? You walk."

I nodded my head. "If you aren't too big where your baby could be in jeopardy, we'll have you do an obstacle course instead of what the others will do. Now stretch and go to the weight room. You're mother will spot you."

I nodded and did as I was told. As I did the exercises my mother watched me with a critical eye.

The time passed in a pleasant silence and then the bell rang and I was off to class.

I was still guarding Christian so I was in his and Lissa's Russian 2 class. I actually picked some words up in that class as I stood at the back of the wall with the other novices.

My day passed much like that until lunch.

It was me, Christian, Lissa, Eddie, and Adrian sitting at the table.

Adrian's not a student, never was one, but he still came to our lunch period. No doubt for the free food and high school girls.

As we sat there the guys were each engrossed in their own conversations with each other that no one seemed to noticed that I was quiet as I just pushed my food around my plate.

Well, no one except Lissa.

Are you ok Rose? She questioned through the bond.

I nodded then I took a deep breath.

Are you going to tell the guys?

Again I nodded.

Now?

Another nod.

Then I blurted it out.

"I'm pregnant." The guys all stopped talking and slowly turned their gazes on me.

Then they all started cracking up.

"Oh wow, that a good one Rose. Pregnant HA!" Christian said through his tears as he leaned against me. Yes he was laughing that hard. He was laughing so hard he couldn't support himself and he was crying.

Eddie and Adrian were the same and they were leaning against each other.

I looked to Lissa, she was seated across from Christian, and she simply rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Men.

She thought.

I smiled at her.

"Guys I'm serious." I shouted. Once they calmed down I lowered my voice.

"I'm really pregnant. About eight weeks or so." Then they just stared dumbly at me. I huffed and crossed my arms as their staring made me feel very uncomfortable.

Then good ol' Eddie broke the silence.

"Damn Adrian you work fast."

I groaned and put my head in my arms. I really wished I had waited a little longer to tell them now.

Idiots all of 'em!

"Adrian's not the father Eddie." Lissa said as she moved to my other side and rubbed my back soothingly.

"Yeah I'd definitely remember that." Adrian said in a dreamy voice. I couldn't see him but I bet he had a dopey smile as he imagined making babies with me.

"Well if Adrian's… then who?... Was it Jesse?" Christian asked incredulously.

I shot up then and grabbed him by his collar.

"You want to run that by me again?" I growled. Man I was already getting those violent mood swings.

"Rose calm down!" Lissa said as she sent calming thoughts through the bond. I took a deep breath and let Christian go slowly and sat back down.

"Ok if it wasn't Adrian then who was it Rose?" Eddie asked after I was calmed. He had a dangerous gleam in his eye and I knew if it had been a Moroi they'd have gotten a very violent visit from my over protective brother like friend.

I took a deep breath I had to tell them everything. I glanced to Adrian and he was staring at me torso.

I opened my mouth to say something only to get interrupted by Adrian.

"She's definitely pregnant. I didn't notice it before since is still so light but I can see the little guy's aura." He squinted as I leaned back slightly so he could get a better look.

"It's laced in…" he leaned a little over the table. "No that can't be right."

"What is it?" I asked worried something was wrong with my baby.

"The kid's aura looks like its laced in gold, but only spirit users have gold in their auras."

I put a hand to my stomach. I wondered what the hell that meant.

"We can worry about the kid's aura later." Christian said as he called the group back to the matter at hand.

"Who is the father Rose?" he asked me as he held up his fist, which then burst into flames. "I'll fry his ass."

I gave him a small smile.

"You guys remember Dimitri right?" I asked the rather dumb question.

Christian and Eddie looked at me like I had two heads. Lissa took my hand and Adrian looked mystified.

Adrian had known about Dimitri and I since he first met me and I think it was starting to click since he looked at my belly and blinked. He looked absolutely astonished.

"What about Guardian Belikov?" Eddie asked. I took a deep breath.

"Firstly I think it happened because I'm shadow kissed and was brought back to life by spirit and we think," I said as I held up Lissa's hand to indicate her. "That spirit some how healed that genetic glitch that keeps dhampirs from procreating together."

Christian and Eddie looked at each other then Christian stupidly pointed to Eddie and said.

"Is it Eddie?"

Eddie glared at Christian while Lissa and me laughed.

Adrian was still studying my baby's aura while he listened to us.

"No," I said. "It is, or was, Dimitri."

I was met with utter silence.

Then Eddie shook his head.

"No seriously who's the father?"

I gave Eddie a very serious look. Then it sunk in.

"B-Belikov?" they asked in unison. I nodded.

Then Eddie looked around to make sure that no one was ease dropping on us then he looked at me and asked.

"When the heck did that happen?"

I looked down at my lap and smiled as I rubbed my belly.

Then I answered my friend's curious stares.

"I don't know when I fell for him. I mean I guess I had a little crush on him at first but it grew you kow?" I smiled as memories assaulted my mind.

Him fixing my stances during practice, looking at me with that smile, and with that glare that I knew meant I was running my ass off for whatever stupid stunt I pulled.

I saw him bandaging my hands when I didn't have gloves and then I saw the cabin. Suddenly I felt tears rolling down my cheeks.

"He- He loved me too, you know. He was always trying to protect me. He was always worried that if we loved each other we wouldn't be able to protect Lissa like we should." I looked Lissa in the eye then. "He knew that if anything happened to you I'd never be able to forgive myself. So we tried to… not love each other… I guess… but it didn't work."

I looked up and cleared the tears from my cheeks and looked at the others.

"Do you guys remember when Jesse and his Mana friends attacked Lissa?" I asked and I saw Christian's clear blue eyes darken as they all nodded.

I was so overwhelmed with darkness from Lissa that Dimitri had to take me to the cabin where Tasha stayed while she was here so I wouldn't kill Jesse. He managed to snap me out of that hateful haze and… I don't really know what happened. One minute he was holding me and telling me he'd be there and he'd help and the next we were…" I blushed I really blushed. My cheeks were so hot that I was sweating.

"We were… you know." I said and the guys seemed to get it as their eyes widened.

"Then the attack happened and Dimitri was taken." I bit my lip.

"God, if I had known that I was… that I was having a baby I wouldn't have left."

"What happened in Russia Rose?" Adrian asked as his eyes bore into mine.

I really didn't want to get into that but I knew that if I didn't get this off my chest I'd never be able to move on and raise Dimitri's child the way he or she deserved. So I told them. For my child's sake I told them everything.

"I went to Baia. It's Dimitri's hometown in Siberia, did you know that no one even thought to inform the Belikovs that Dimitri was even dead? I stayed with his mother and grandmother, his sisters and their children. He has a nephew named Paul and a niece named Zoya. His sister, Sonya was pregnant the last time I saw her.

They were so nice and I enjoyed my time with them and then I had to leave. I went with some Dhampir guys to Novosibirsk and we hunted Strigoi for a few weeks. I was looking for Dimitri so I'd tortured the Strigoi we caught then I'd let them go with messages for him."

By this time everyone at the table looked like they were hanging off my every word.

"One night I wondered away from the guys. I saw this crazy old lady, she was lying on her side on the side walk and she was talking gibberish, suddenly I felt him there and I whirled around. My stake was out and I was ready to stake him. But when I looked at him I froze.

It was him, the same hair, the same eyes, though they had red around the pupil, he was even wearing that same old stupid duster…"

Lissa hugged me and I took another deep breath. Remembering that time with him was painful, talking about was even worse.

"He said one thing to me. 'Roza, you forgot my first lesson. Never Hesitate.' Then he hit me and I didn't wake up until… I don't remember how long I was out. He gave me a choice. He wanted me to willingly ask him to awaken me. When I basically told him to piss off he bit me. I remember looking at him. I said 'I thought it was my choice.' And he chuckled and said that it still was my choice and that this was just for fun."

I felt Lissa's grip on me tighten.

"After that he'd visit every night. he brought me gifts, gifts that I have no doubt were off the people he killed. We would talk about everything. It was just like old times. Until he left then he'd drink from me and leave. There were times, though when he'd get angry and I'd be reminded that he wasn't," I gave a soft sob. "He wasn't my Dimitri anymore. He was a monster. It finally sunk in for me when I was attacked by a Strigoi named Nathan and a human named Inna. I was so weak from endorphins and blood loss that I couldn't defend myself. He came and saved me but when we were alone he yelled at me. He blamed me. that's when I knew that I had to get out of there. So I told him that I didn't want to be weak anymore and I convinced him that I need a few days without a bite. He respected my wishes. I was running out of time anyway. He had said if I didn't choose to be awaken soon he'd awaken me by force. I managed to get away but he chased me to a bridge that's where I staked him. But I missed. He's still alive and he's still Strigoi. And now I have to worry about my child's life as well as my own."

Everyone was quiet as they let all of the information I's just given them sink in.

"Rose," Christian said as he put an arm around me. "I'm so sorry you went through that." I nodded. I was trying so hard not full out bawl. I mean were in the middle of the cafeteria for God's sake.

"Little Dhampir," Adrian reached across the table and took my hand. "Don't worry we'll help you with this." I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah Rosie." Eddie agreed as he patted my arm. "We'll take care of you and the baby Hathaway."

I shook my head. "Belikov. It's a baby Belikov." They all smiled at me.

I finally felt free and I was ready to face whatever the future had in store. Now I had to call the Belikovs. They deserved to know that their son was going to be a father.

"I'm gonna be Uncle Adrian!" Adrian squealed like a girl. And we laughed. God it felt good to laugh.

Wow this was a long one. Eleven pages. So please review let me know how you all like it. I felt Rose would tell her friends everything because she was afraid if she kept it all inside she wouldn't be able to be the best mother to her and Dimitri's baby so she told them.

Richelle Mead owns VA and any flash backs will come from the first four books and will be titled like the one in this chapter.

Flashback Starts Now Book Page Number(s)

Thanks for reading and I'll Update… hopefully tomorrow.

Until then!