Chapter 20

I didn't understand how I could be pregnant; or how I wasn't told sooner. I mean, I had been in hospital since the last time I slept with Christian, so I thought it would have been brought up. Also, I didn't understand how I was still pregnant. I had died for god's sake!

I looked at the nurse who had entered the room to see how I was. "I want answers." I said firmly.

"I know Miss Hathaway, and we are going to do our best and answer your questions, but for now you need to rest for the sake of your baby and for yourself." She replied. At that moment, Dimitri entered the room. I watched the nurse blush, (Dimitri seemed to do that to the majority of girls out there) and leave the room; Dimitri came and sat next to me in the chair provided.

"Well well well Rose, you're full of surprises." He said to me.

"Shut up." I replied.

"No need to get snappy Rose. I'm not the one that got myself knocked up. Are you sure you know who the father is? You seem to be in love with everyone lately..." I tried to punch him in the face, but it didn't work. "What did the nice nurse say? You have to rest for the sake of your baby and you." He smirked.

"I know very well who the father is and I don't appreciate you making jokes like that. Have you rang my parents for me?" Dimitri laughed.

"Why would I do that? It's got anything to do with me..." I tried to punch him again.

"It's called being considerate Dimitri. But I suppose I should have guessed you wouldn't have. It's not like you care about anything but yourself..."

"That's me, looking out for number one." He said, and grinned.

"Stop fucking laughing for once you idiot."

"Calm down Rose..."

"I'm pregnant with Christian's baby, something I didn't know until now when I should have been told sooner, my life is a cannibal of disaster... and you expect me to calm down?"

Dimitri just shook his head and mumbled: "Hormones." I rolled my eyes; it was useless trying to get through to him.

Moments later, I finally saw a doctor that could explain things to me. "Miss Hathaway," He began, "According to my information, you never had the required tests you should have had after your accident. I apologize for that, but now we do need to check to see how the baby is doing and so we're going to take you for an ultrasound. I hope that's okay." He doesn't make it a question, rather a statement, and with the help of a nurse, they put me into a wheelchair to help me to the required room; Dimitri has left by then.

I lie down on the bed, and try not to think about the exact reason I'm here. I feel coldness on my stomach, and then the next thing I know I look up at the screen and although there isn't much there, as I'm not that far gone, I feel my emotions get the better of me. My baby. I feel speechless looking at the cute little bundle on the screen, (well my baby was going to be cute I knew, anyway...) and my eyes welled up with tears. Then I think that what Dimitri said before now makes sense for my situation now; it has to be my hormones.

"It looks like your baby is fine; more than fine." The doctor tells me, and I'm relieved to hear it. Knowing that my baby is safe inside my belly is the best moment in my life so far and it's in that moment that I realise: revenge against Christian isn't worth the cost of possibly losing my unborn child. I wanted to do everything I possibly could to keep my baby safe and if that meant never seeing Christian again and not helping Dimitri with his stupid plans, then so be it.

"Thank you." I whisper to the doctor, and she smiles at me with genuine warmth and then tells me about how to keep safe, how to keep the baby safe and everything else I had to know. I nod all the way through, thinking, I'm going to have a baby...

After the ultrasound, the doctor tells me that it's safe for me to leave. I nod, relieved and I gather my stuff and walk to the exit. When I get to the reception area, I sign myself out and I see Dimitri is waiting for me.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss at him.

"A nurse called me and said that it was safe for my 'girlfriend' to leave the hospital and that I should come and pick you up." He sniggers at that.

"I don't need picking up. I'm perfectly capable of leaving myself." I reply.

"I hope you're not planning on going back on our deal..."

"There never really was a deal Dimitri."

"Oh yes there was and you listen to me," He leans in and whispering he carries on, "If you don't help me, then something might 'accidently' happen to your unborn child..." I feel my face pale and anger forms in my brain.

I lean into him and say, "Don't you dare threaten me, you bastard. Stay away from me." I begin to walk away, but he grabs my right arm.

"What did I just say Rose? You're coming with me now." Before I have a chance to scream, Dimitri had put a hand over my mouth so my screams are muffled, and he manages to do this without anyone noticing as he walks slowly (I'm resisting) with me out of the door and full force into the cold air and he drags me to his awaiting car and pushes me in with a little force. He gets in beside me, and says to the driver: "You know the place." And then the car drives off.

"I can't believe you're doing this Dimitri. Why can't you just let me go?" I begin to plead. At one point I wouldn't have cared, but I realise that I have something to care about now: my baby.

"Because out of everyone I know, you are easily the person that is most likely to help me be successful. I need that. Just remember what I said earlier about your baby, Rose. I would hate for something to happen to it..."

"It's not an 'it' it's a 'him' or 'her'." I snap.

"Well we don't know the baby's gender yet do we Rose, so for now it's an 'it'." It annoyed me so much the way he seemed to act like the baby was his, but I kept it to myself. I didn't want any more trouble. I decided to bite my tongue because if it meant my baby would be safe, then so be it. However, I knew being involved with Dimitri's plan still wasn't exactly the best way to keep him or her safe, but I also knew that there would be a problem with whatever I chose, but this postponed the inevitable should the worst thing ever happen; though I was going to make damn sure it didn't.

He took me back to the beach house, and strangely he was rather kind to me, and told everyone to treat me well because I was pregnant. The doctor had told me that I was about three weeks pregnant, which was definitely right, but she also said that I was still in the danger zone for having a miscarriage, which scared me shitless. It hadn't been that long since I had been told I was having a baby, but I had already become attached to the little one; I was becoming maternal, something I never thought I would. Especially since, although I knew my mom loved me, I knew she wasn't maternal in the least; that's why I had been raised in a school for most of my life.

Dimitri didn't let me use the phone, ever, to contact my mom and Abe to tell them I was okay, because I think he thought I might tell them where I was and he knew that if they found out, they would come straight here to get me, and probably kill Dimitri for threatening me and my unborn baby. No, scratch that. My mom and dad would kill Christian first and then Dimitri. I think.

###

Another week past of complete boredom. I was so bored that I wanted to have another 'fight' at Court. I watched as Dimitri kept leaving the beach house to go somewhere, but I didn't have a clue where. That was, until he told me and put me into shock.

"What?" I said.

"You heard me... the powerful Royal Moroi have decided to change the law." I was gobsmacked. I had actually started to forget about that, but him reminding me was enough for me to just keep opening and closing my mouth at him like a fish.

"Just like that?" I was confused that they would accept so fast. I thought that they would go through a vote or something before they just accepted.

"I must have scared them pretty bad into accepting after Frederick died." He said. I was shocked that they would be scared of one man. When Frederick died, they were unprepared but I thought that since then they would make sure they were protected at all times in case something like this ever happened again. No, I was pretty sure there was more to it than this; nothing came that easy.

"So that's where you've been over the past week? At Court?"

"Of course not Rose. I've been entertaining a certain someone..." He didn't elaborate, and I didn't want him to. It was pretty obvious as to what his meaning was.

"So how do you know they've accepted?"

"My certain someone told me..." I realised that he must have been having sex with the hot moroi that was flirting with him with her body back when he was trying to get them to change the law.

"So what happens now?" I asked him.

"We have to go to Court."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

"Why not today?"

"It's too soon. If we go storming in there the day Melissa told me, then even Melissa is going to think I'm actually easy to wrap around their fingers."

"But don't you think a week is pushing it anyway? What difference does a day make?"

"Enough with the questions Rose. We're going tomorrow, and that's final."

"Can I just ask you one thing?"

He sighed and said: "What?"

"When you saw that I had fainted last week, why did you take me to the hospital? It wasn't that long ago that you let me drown in the water at sea to die. Why the change of heart?"

"I needed you alive, Rose, for my plan."

"But I haven't really made a difference have I? You managed to get them to change the law without me."

He started to walk towards me, and when he reached me, he said: "Actually Rose, you did help a lot. They would have ran to the hill tops if I'd turned up last week without you. With you there looking terrified, they would have wanted to make sure you are okay. Therefore, they listened to me."

I was surprised at this, especially as everyone had known Dimitri and I had been a thing. Also, I was supposed to be 'badass' in everyone's eyes. "Oh," was all I said though, when he told me this.

"They are looking for you as we speak," He said to my surprise, "They think I kidnapped you." He chuckled.

"Well you actually did Dimitri." I replied.

"Whatever." Was all he said, and then he made sure there was a small gap between us and he was invading my personal space, and then kissed me on the lips. I slapped him when he did.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I asked him, and for the first time in a long time, Dimitri actually looked embarrassed. I wanted to laugh at that.

"What did it look like to you?" He asked me.

Not having a very good come back, I hissed at him: "Don't you dare do that again. If you do, I will make sure you are never able to use your goods downstairs..." I pointed at his cock, which was fully erect.

"Okay then." He replied with sarcasm in his voice. Then he walked off.

He woke me at 4am in the morning the next day, saying that we had to leave now. "Why so early?" I mumbled, feeling the sleep in my eyes and my stomach cramps which indicated I was about to throw up. I ran to the toilet quickly and did just that.

"Element of surprise," He laughed, "Now get ready and meet me at the car in fifteen minutes. A Guard will lead you there so you don't run off..." I nodded, and he left the room open and went to do whatever he was going to do.

The Guard was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs like Dimitri said he would be and he led to Dimitri's fancy car. I climbed in, putting my hand on my stomach for a second and thinking, I will keep you safe, baby, I will keep you safe...

###

When we arrived at Court, I wasn't expecting what I saw: there were Guards and Moroi alike standing outside the Court's gates and for a moment I sat in the seat in Dimitri's car, looking out of the window in shock. I looked over at Dimitri, expecting him to explain all this, but I could tell from his facial expression that this had been the last thing he had expected as well.

"What the hell is going on here?" Though I knew not to expect an honest answer, or at least I knew what he was going to say.

"I have no fucking clue. I shouldn't have..." He trailed off.

"You shouldn't have what?" I whispered.

"I shouldn't have told Melissa about my plan." He said to me.

"YOU DID WHAT?" I screamed at him.

"Rose, keep your voice down. Of course I told her when and where we were coming, I didn't tell her what day, but she must have assumed anyway but I never expected her to turn against me."

"How could you be so stupid? For all the things you are, the one thing I was certain of was that you're smart. You're sure not acting like it though now. Just because you're screwing her doesn't mean you should tell her all your secrets."

"Oh shut up; we need another plan of action..."

"Exactly what, Dimitri? I would say we're pretty much screwed. Why don't we just leave it?"

"Are you kidding me Rose? We can't back down now. No, here's what we're going to do..." He told me what we were going to do now, fight, and a part of me quivered in fear; not for a fight, I was used to them, but for the safety of my unborn child. However, I knew I didn't have much choice in the matter. Dimitri gave me my stake and a couple of other weapons, and he carried a long and sharp knife, as well as a gun. The rest of his guards had the same as him. Once items were distributed, we climbed out of the car and walked the short distance towards Court where the many Guards and Moroi were waiting inside the gates. Then it happened; the fight.

The Guards at the gate threw the gates open, and came flooding out at a really fast pace, walking straight in the direction of Dimitri. Dimitri had his own Guards for protection though, so he didn't look scared, just confused and if I didn't know any better... sad. However, I saw him go into battle stance and then he ran towards people of the opposing side of his team, stabbing people with a perfect skill as he went along. I was amazing, as well as frightened at how well he was with a knife and at defending himself.

It was at this point that I felt someone grab hold of my arm, and going into battle stance myself, I punched the intruder in the face. I turned round to see the vampire or Dhampir that I had knocked out, and I was surprised and angry with myself when I saw Jill beginning to faint. "Oh god, oh god, oh god..." I mumbled and I began shaking her gently to make sure she was okay. She squirmed and then looked right at me.

"Why did you do that?" She whispered and before I had a chance to answer, she passed out.

"Rose! What the hell did you do that for?" This time I recognised the voice and turned round to see Abe running towards me in between all the chaos we were in the middle of.

"I was trying to protect myself in this mess. How was I supposed to know that I would turn round to see Jill looking at me?" I answered.

He shook his head and said: "She came to get you to go into Court; for your safety. The Guards are trying to capture Dimitri and then put him in prison. We know all about the harm he's caused." I stood listening to him for a minute, talking about Dimitri and then I remembered that we were in a middle of a fight and if we didn't stop standing here talking about something pointless in that moment, then we could find ourselves dead.

"Abe, we need to talk about this later. Right now we have this battle on our hands." Not listening to his reply, I ran off to some Guards to kick some ass.

About an hour later, the fight was still going on and at this point I had absolutely no idea who I was fighting anymore; whether I was fighting Dimitri's Guards and protecting everyone in Court or whether I was still on Dimitri's side and fighting the Guards that protected Court. All I knew was one thing: whoever I was fighting, it wasn't good for the baby I was carrying. But I couldn't stop; I felt like all the anger and sadness I had suppressed was coming out in my fighting against the other Guardians. I wasn't thinking about whether Jill was okay, whether Abe or anyone else I cared about was okay. In that moment all I could think about was my pain and misery.

It was also at this point that I felt a sharp pain in the side of my stomach. I gazed down at a stab wound and blood pouring out at a fast rate. I looked up and saw Dimitri leering at me; like he had won, again. I was so angry, angrier than I had ever been at him, that, holding the stake in my hand, I launched it at Dimitri's chest and where his heart was, and thrust it through in a perfect shot. I watched as Dimitri looked at me in surprise, his face paling and then Dimitri falling to the floor. I looked him over, and knew he was dead.

A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember to review! Just a forewarning of the next chapter, the first half or so will be a bit depressing, however in the second half there will be a special guest arriving...

Hopefully I will have the next chapter up in a few days or so.