Well I didn't get as many reviews as I would have liked but I have just fewer than 40 now.

Is this story moving at a pace that's too fast? I could try and slow it down if it is? Let me know.

Chapter 13

Rose POV

My case got 5 times bigger as of Tuesday night.

Natalie Dashkov, a 17 year old girl went missing in the same spot as Jill Mastrano and Camille Conta.

The reports that I got said that Natalie was on her way home from ballet practice and was seen last walking nearby the alley I had been studying. I was now pretty sure that this was where the attacker was targeting his victims from.

I wanted to go check out the place again but Lissa had warned me not to alone. She was surprisingly overprotective of me since we found out I was pregnant. Actually, it wasn't that surprising. It was Lissa, and she was just looking out for me – like always.

"Hey Eddie?" I knocked on his office door, hoping he would be in there.

"Rose?" He answered back from behind the door.

"Can I come in?"

"Course." He said.

I opened the door. He was alone. Good.

"Hey." He said "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to give me a hand with something?" I asked him.

"Sure, what do you need?" My friends were great. I could literally rely on them for anything.

I shut his door and sat down opposite him and his desk. I carefully explained the case and the thoughts I had and he agreed in a heartbeat to help me.

I couldn't wait 'til Eddie and Mase knew that I was pregnant. I know that my girls knew but I really wanted some male support.

Eddie and I ran into Mason on our way out the door and I asked him to come along as well.

We drove all the way and they both helped me looked for clues. After about 10 minutes of nosing around I noticed from red blood splatters on the wall. I wasn't sure if they were there the last time I was here. I hadn't noticed them though. I took a swab and put the sample in a small, clear bag. I took extra samples as well in case they were needed. There were no signs of a struggle apart from a trashcan knocked over – but that could've been there a long time.

We stayed around about an hour and then returned to the car.

Driving home, I was debating with myself, trying to decide whether to tell the guys I was pregnant.

I thought back to the thought I had earlier.

I could rely on my friends for anything.

Maybe they could even help me on deciding what to say to Dimitri. They were guys after all.

But if I was going to tell them, I wanted to tell them now. I didn't want to risk telling them back at the office, where Dimitri had a chance of overhearing.

"Eh, guys?" I started.

"Mmhmm?" Mason said from the back.

Eddie looked at me expectantly from the driver's seat.

"I kinda have something to tell you."

"Sounds serious." Eddie commented, returning his eyes back to the road.

"It is." I said.

A worried expression crossed over both Mason and Eddie's faces.

"Do you want me to pull in?" Eddie asked.

"No, that's-" I stopped myself. I wasn't sure how either of them was going to take it. Pulling in was probably a good idea.

"Actually yeah, could you?"

Eddie pulled in and both he and Mase turned their attention towards me.

"Don't freak out, ok?" I warned them.

"We won't Rose, just tell us." Mason said impatiently.

"Well, I'm kinda, eh, pregnant." I said stumbling a little over the words.

Silence.

"YOU'RE WHAT?" Mason yelled, angrily. "Rose, are you crazy! You're having a baby?"

I put my face in my hands.

"Mason calm down! We said we wouldn't freak out." Eddie said.

I felt a hand on my arm and it pulled one of my hands away from my face. I was near tears from Mason's outburst. He was right though – I was an idiot to think everything would be ok like Lissa said. I mean if this was how Mason was taking it, then how the hell would Dimitri take it? Not to mention work! What was I going to do about that? Abe had given me this huge opportunity and I had to go and get pregnant. I had let him down as well.

I couldn't help the tears that began to flow down my face. I blamed the hormones.

"Hey hey, don't cry Rose. I'm sorry, I was just shocked that's all." Mason said, grabbing and holding my hand.

They waited before I had gained more control of myself before asking questions.

"Who's the father?" Eddie asked.

I hadn't told them anything about Dimitri so I had to start the beginning.

"You know that new guy? Dimitri Belikov?" I didn't give them time to answer. "Well, the Friday night before he started working, I spent the night at his apartment and well, yeah." I finished a little awkwardly.

"Belikov? Does he know?" Mason asked me.

"No. I haven't told him yet. Lissa's bringing me to a doctor's appointment on Friday afternoon first to make sure everything's ok before I tell him." I explained.

"Good idea. Are you worried about how he'll take it?" Eddie asked.

"Well, yeah actually." I said.

"I think it'll be alright. I've had a few conversations with the guy and he seems pretty decent."

"Yeah I got the same impression." Mason agreed with Eddie.

"You guys have to promise not to say anything to anyone!" I warned them.

They had to keep it to themselves. If they told someone at the office and Dimitri found out from someone other than me…let's just say it would be quite close to a disaster.

They both promised.

"Who else knows?" Mason asked me as Eddie started the car again.

"Just you guys, Christian, Lissa, Mia and Sydney."

I felt a lot better after telling the guys – like a weight was lifted from my shoulders.

Now, all that was left to tell was Dimitri and my parents. I most definitely wanted to talk to Dimitri first and then my parents. I was pretty sure my parents would have a lot more questions than anyone else – including finding out everything they can about how Dimitri and I were going to handle everything. So in order to be able to answer their questions, I had to know the answers myself.

Which is exactly why I had to talk to Dimitri first.

But that wasn't going to happen until after Friday at least, so there wasn't much I could do about it until then.

Friday afternoon

Friday came a lot faster than I expected.

I had gone to work this morning and Lissa was now picking me up from outside my office. She text me to let me know she was outside.

I locked up my office and headed out the door. I was nearly at the car when I heard my mother's voice behind me.

"Rosemarie!" She yelled.

God she did that a lot.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked me.

"I have plans." Was all I said and opened the passenger side of Lissa's car. She'd dropped me off at work this morning too so that I wouldn't have to bring my car.

"What plans? You're supposed to be working!"

"It's none of your business, mother, and don't worry, Abe knows I'm taking the rest of the day off." I said and sat into the car. I shut the door before she could answer and told Lissa to drive.

As we took off, I saw my mother huff back inside the building through the rear view mirror. I smiled to myself. I don't know why I liked taunting her so much.

"How are you feeling?" Lissa's questioned, bringing my thoughts out of my own head and back into the car.

"Ok, I think. I'm a little nervous." I admitted.

"Don't be, I'm sure everything's fine, and I'll be right beside you." She said.

I smiled at her and neither of us said anything else for the rest of the journey.

It wasn't that far away, about 20 minutes. When we arrived, I got a little more nervous.

What if the baby wasn't ok?

Lissa just took my hand and brought me inside. We walked up to the counter.

"Appointment for Rose Hathaway." Lissa said to the receptionist.

"Sure. Just take a seat. I'll call you when the doctor is ready for you." She said back.

We sat in the waiting room, Lissa still holding my hand. There weren't many people here at all so we weren't waiting long.

We were called in and Lissa came in with me.

"It's nice to meet you Rose. My name is Dr. Olendski." She said and shook my hand. She then shook Lissa's hand.

"I'm Lissa, Rose's friend." She explained.

"Nice to meet you too."

"Well, Rose, I believe you think you are pregnant?" she turned her attention back to me.

"Yes, well, I'm pretty sure I am." I replied.

"Can you tell me your symptoms?"

"Em, nausea in the morning, I'm sleeping a lot more and my breasts have become fairly sore in the last day or two."

"Ok, and when was the last time you had sexual intercourse?"

"Two weeks ago today."

"Are you on any form of birth control?"

"Well, I was on the pill, but I missed it a couple of days in row." Answering all of her questions truthfully.

"What age are you Rose?"

"22." I replied.

"Do you smoke?"

"No."

"Have you ever been pregnant before?"

"No."

"Ok then, I'm going to give you another pregnancy test so I want you to go into the bathroom and urinate on it for me please." She gave me directions to the toilet and I left.

I did what she asked me and returned with the test. Lissa smiled at me while we were waiting. She had stayed quiet up until now but I liked having the emotional support. I don't know if I'd have been able to do this without her.

"It's positive." Dr. Olendski said a few minutes later. "Ok, I'm just going to do a small blood test to confirm it."

She took a little sample of my blood, cleaned me up and then left the room. Dr. Olendski came back a while later.

"Well, congratulations Rose, you are indeed pregnant." She smiled at me.

I smiled back…and I felt excited. Now that I had gotten used to the idea that I was going to have a baby, I realised I felt happy.

She then performed an ultrasound on me and showed me the picture of my baby on the screen. It looked like a bean.

Lissa started crying, and I admit, I may have teared up a little.

"When is the baby due?" Lissa asked, speaking for the first time.

"Well, the date of conception was September 3rd, so the 3rd of June." She answered with a smile.

"Ok, Rose I would now like to perform a physical exam."

I wasn't quite sure what that was, but I didn't know if I liked the sound of it.

Unfortunately, Lissa had to leave the room for this one.

"Don't worry, Rose." She said, noticing my distress. "I won't hurt you."

I believed her.

She spent the next hour weighing me, checking my blood pressure, checking my heart, lungs and my breasts.

"Rose, I'm going to do a bimanual internal exam, ok?" she said.

I had no idea what that was.

"Basically I'm going to have a feel around to determine the size of your uterus and pelvis."

Lovely. I thought sarcastically.

She held one hand on my abdomen, while the other poked around in places I'd rather not mention. It was an experience I'd rather not repeat again…ever.

When she was finished with me, she gave me a list of vitamins to take and asked me to come back in about 3 weeks. I made an appointment and went out to find Lissa.

"Is everything alright?" She asked me, a little worriedly.

"Yes, all fine." I answered and smiled.

As much as I loved having Lissa with me, I couldn't help but wish that it was Dimitri that was with me.

I was a little worried that he wouldn't want anything to do with me or the baby when he found out.

We went to the pharmacy and picked up the vitamins the doctor had told me to take.

When we got home, I pulled on my pyjamas, which were basically shorts and a tank top, and I ate the remainder of the ice cream Christian had brought me previously.

I was going to tell Dimitri soon.

Very soon.

Please review and tell me what you think!

I'm sorry if the first doctor's visit wasn't ok – I did a lot of research on how they're supposed to be. I'm only 17 and have never been pregnant so apologises if it's unrealistic! Forgive me!