Man, I took a looong break from fan fiction but I thought I'd try to get back into it. =]

And I do NOT own Vampire Academy, even as much as I wish I did…but Rachelle Mead is doing a very fine job with managing it.

Chapter 4 Minor Set Back

Theo's POV

2 weeks after the day on the rock Beth and I were still fighting off Adrian from talking to Lea. I gotta give the guy this: he can be stubborn and determined. He sent Lea flowers just about everyday and on top of that he sent a diamond necklace with matching earrings, a sapphire ring, and a ruby and onyx bracelet. He had no cost limits when it cam to Lea, I swear Beth is jealous.

Today we were getting back from lunch with Atona and our mom, when Christian and Lissa are fighting; I swear those two are always fighting now days. I went over there to see what was going on, while Beth was caught up in talking to Rose, and Eddie. She and Eddie have become really good friends. Lea was around the corner by the car with Atona while our mom had to get back to work.

"You said you'd be there last night Liss!" Christian pretty much yelled.

"And I was! But I couldn't find you! Rose was with me so you can even ask her!" Lissa shot back.

There was a badass rock concert last night and dhampirs and moroi's got to go to it, but apparently that wasn't enough for these two.

"Hey, Theo you saw me there did you not?" Christian asked as I join them.

"Yeah, he was with Eddie, Mason, and I, we were like 6th row or something."

Lissa turned to me, "Well of course your gonna cover for him! He's your friend!"

"What do you think I did Liss if I didn't go to the concert?" Christian asked.

"Well there were other guardian/moroi schools that went to that…"

"And you think that I cheated on you? At a damn concert? With a chick I probably wouldn't even know? Thanks for sharing your opinion of me, Lissa."

"Well, I'm just trying to tell you how I feel since you apparently made out of stone lately"

"Look I don't need this, I was at the spot we decided to meet at, at exactly 8:00 last night, but what time did you get there? You say you got there around 8:45, how do I know what you were doing so that you were late? And even when you didn't see me at first, you obviously didn't make that big of an effort to find me, so what were you doing?" he shot back.

"Christian, you know I was with Rose."

Christian smiled, "Of course she's gonna cover for you, she's your friend." Damn, if looks could kill Christian would kill over right now.

"Go to hell, Christian." And she walked away.

"You're an ass" I joked.

"Well if she wants to play that game than I can too."

"So where were you really?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"Honestly, planning her surprise birthday party with Alberta."

I laughed, "oh damn, better hope it worth all this."

"Man, I hope so. But it's all good, she'll thank me in the end. Let's go drag Eddie away from your sister. I swear that's all he ever does now days; either talks with her or talks about her."

I laughed, and walked with him.

Lea's POV

Mommy! Mommy! Look at the flowers!" Atona said as she came up to me with 3 lilies she picked out, and held them out to me.

"Baby girl, they're beautiful! Thank you" I replied while taking them.

"Mommy, imma go play."

"K baby, be careful." I said kissing her.

I watched her play and run around laughing and be amused at the smallest things. Gawd, I loved her, I can't imagine how Adrian could ever leave her but then again I never told him about her, he left to soon. I wonder what it'd be like if he ever knew her, I personally couldn't see the guy Adrian was today playing with a little girl, maybe the guy I used to know, but no this new person he decided to be…but I imagined him playing with her in the ocean, and pushing her on the swings, or going down the slide with her, all like I did so many times and wished that he could be there with us, so much sometimes that I started to cry. I never let tawny see my tears though. I looked out to the field and imagined him out there playing with her, I knew it probably a futile wish, but it never hurt to dream. I saw him come around the big willow tree holding her hand and swinging her around like an airplane and then put her down so she could just cling back to him. I smiled at the thought…then realized it was real! I dashed over to her and pulled her away from him so suddenly I scared both of them.

"Whoa, easy. We were just playing." Adrian said putting his hands up in surrender.

"Yeah whatever, how did you find her?" I replied while setting her down.

"She was over by the front gates. You should keep a more careful eye on her." He teased.

I had half a mind to tell him to shut the hell up and don't tell me how to raise our daughter since this was his first time ever playing with her. But I kept it to myself thinking he didn't need anything to ruin his perfect world. I laughed internally at the sight of his face if I did say that out loud.

"Mommy, I made a new friend, I found him at the front gate and he gave me this bouncy ball."

He smiled, "She looks just like you. I didn't know you had another sister."

"Yeah well-"

"This isn't my sister," Tawny said giggling, "This is my mommy.

Adrian just stared at her, and then he looked to me. I thought I saw flash of hurt in his eyes, but he covered it up with a smile and looked back to Tawny. "Really? Well, you have one pretty mommy, I bet your gonna be just as pretty when you grow up."

"I will be. My mommy says my daddy's pretty too, so she's said imma be extra pretty." She said proudly.

"I bet you will be gorgeous." He said.

She turned red and ran off to run around and try to grab the willow trees branches. I watched her in happiness, but I was left alone with Adrian so it was awkward.

"I never thought you were one to get around like that." He said intensely.

"I don't get around." I shot back.

"And yet there she is."

"I don't feel guilty for having her."

"Is this why you were so guarded?"

"Yeah, sorry Adrian, I've been trying to tell you that I don't have time for anything more than my daughter and my guardian training." I said hoping he would buy it.

Adrian's POV

I looked down still hurting from the blow of finding out she had a little girl, "So, who's the lucky guy? Is he around?" I couldn't believe she had a kid, I mean her little girl was so cute and all but still…did she really take it that bad after I left to go get with someone else? That fast? Her little girl was about 3 or so. That had to be pretty fast after I left. Well you have no one to blame but yourself.

"Uh, no. He won't even see her."

"Ever? Why?" I asked shocked as hell.

"Just never really asked to, or offered, or been around to."

I was pissed off that someone would come and take her for granted and use her like that then just leave her with a child. I hated moroi's that did that. I wanted to know exactly who it was so I could give the asshole what he had coming. I had to look over to Atona to stop Lea from seeing my anger.

"What his name?" I spat out.

"Adrian please, let's not go there." She asked almost hesitantly.

"Who?" I looked back at her.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because-"I started to say until I heard someone else walking towards us. Christian and Eddie.

"What's going on man?" Eddie said laughing at something Christian said.

"Nothing." I said still looking at Lea while she went and got Atona outta the tangles of the willow tree branches. I had to chuckle at that sight.

"Whoa, who's the little girl?" Christian asked.

"Lea's. She just told me so…"

"Damn, I didn't know she had a kid." Christian replied.

"Yeah well, not a lot of people do." Lea said coming up to us. "Say hi baby girl."

Atona smiled charmingly, that made her look like she was an innocent angel. "Hi, I'm Atona."

Eddie brightened up. "I'm Eddie, and this is Christian."

"Ed-dee." She giggled, then looked to Christian "Crish-than." She giggled some more.

We all laughed. Then Christian stepped forward and kneeled on one knee. "Chris-tain."

"Crish-than" she smiled.

"Chrissss-Tain"

Her brows came together in frustration. "Crish-than" then looked to her mom for approval which she gladly gave.

"Good job baby girl. But let's shorten it, Chris"

"Chrish"

Christian gave her high five, "Fair enough, little one."

Instead of hitting his hand Atona missed it and hit his forehead. Christian was momentarily stunned by it, and I burst out laughing along with Atona. Christian and Eddie both started to laugh but stopped and started looking between me and Atona. I stopped laughing.

"What?"

"You guys have the same laugh." Eddie said.

"And now that I look between you guys, you guys kinda look like each other." Christian finished.

What? I turned to her and noticed that she had green eyes, and had blonde hair, but those are common traits. Then noticed we laughed at the same things, and she was rather charming, like me. I tried to subtly look at her right wrist, to see if the "Ivashkov birthmark" was there; 9 out of 10 Ivashkov's had it on their wrist, just something that's run in my family for generations, but Lea grabbed her wrist and picked her up and angled her so Atona put her right arm behind Lea's back to hold on. Then it dawned on me, Atona's like 3 years old, I left Lea around 3 years ago. Did I leave her pregnant?

I looked Lea dead on, while she tried to avoid my gaze, "Lea? Who's Atona's dad?"

Christian and Eddie pretty much stopped breathing and stared.

"Lea?"

"None of your business." Lea said not looking at me.

"Are you sure?" I pressed knowing it was hard for Lea to straight out lie; she twisted things around, but never lied.

"Look we gotta go, okay." And she put Atona down "c'mon baby girl" she started walking to get her back by the car. Atona looked at me confused, so I knelt down on one knee and motioned for her to come to me, she did. Lea whipped around but didn't say anything, just watched us like a hawk.

"Hey I'll see you round Squirt. Yuhh can have that bouncy ball and I'll get you another one next time I see you okay?"

Her face brightened up. "Okay!"

I opened my arms for a hug and when she hugged me good bye, I looked over her shoulder and glared at Lea for keeping her from me. I was 98% sure she was my little girl. I had just one question to clear my suspicions.

When Atona pulled back I put my hand on her shoulder and said 'Can I ask you a quick question?"

"Yeah," she said still smiling.

"Did your mommy ever tell you who your daddy was?"

Lea dropped the bag and started running towards us, "Adrian don't!"

I looked over Atona's head and caught Lea's gaze and (I felt so bad but I needed to know)used compulsion on her; she stopped and smiled, so by the time Atona turned around she saw her mom looking happy. She turned back to me and shook her head yes.

"Do you know his name?"

She looked down and looked really concentrated for about 30 seconds then looked back up and sounded it out, "Ad-ree-an I-vass-kovv." She smiled at my looking for approval, and I smiled back at my little girl.