RPOV

When I woke up, I was laying the back of a car. I heard voices in the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. My head hurt and my neck ached. I shakily felt my belly and could faintly feel the baby's movements. I gave a ragged sigh of relief. Whoever was in the passenger's seat turned around and gasped, snapped at the driver, and the car pulled over to the side of the road. Allowing my eyes some time to focus, I could see Tasha's blazing eyes from the driver's seat. Sitting in the passenger's seat was someone I didn't know. A human perhaps, or maybe a random dhampir. Whoever it was wasn't a Moroi and obviously wasn't a Strigoi.

I could tell the human or dhampir was a man.

Tasha got out of the car and dragged me out. She was holding my upper arm in an iron-clad grip and was muttering under her breath. I tried struggling, but her grip only tightened.

"Will you quit moving?" She yanked my arm and I felt a sharp pain shoot through it. "God you're so irritating."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I hissed. "Why'd you kidnap me?"

Tasha glared daggers at me. "Cause of that bastard growing in you. I knew from the beginning Dimitri knocked you up." She yanked me harder, to keep up with her. "A stupid prophecy saying Dimitri had to impregnate another dhampir to kill Strigoi—peh. I knew you'd freak out if you saw him try to kiss me and you'd run off somewhere." She paused. "Everything's going better than expected."

"The boss'll be pleased," the man called from behind. "Once the bastard's dead, there'll be nothing to stop Strigoi from taking over."

I struggled even harder in Tasha's grip. "This is insane!" I cried. "You can't do this! What will Christian think when he finds me and the baby dead? He'll find out it was you! He'll hate you!"

Tasha yanked me in front of her, both her hands gripping my shoulders painfully. "Don't you talk about Christian," she hissed. "I'm doing this for him. His parents couldn't get to him in time and once the bastard's dead he'll finally be what his parents wanted."

"You want him to turn?" I gasped. "You heartless bitch."

Tasha laughed humorlessly. "Maybe I am. We're doing what's best for the world. And what's best for the world is killing you." Everything happened in slow motion. I could see the flames Tasha created, and the evil smile on the human or dhampir man's face. I put my hands out to protect myself, but when I didn't feel the flames touch me, I opened my tightly closed eyes and saw the flames had disappeared. Tasha looked at me confusedly. She tried again. The flames evaporated before they could touch me. "The hell—" she muttered.

I felt a tingling sensation go through me. The tingling sensation turned into something warm and made my stomach flutter.

It's the baby, a voice said. The baby is protecting you. The baby is taking her magic.

The...baby? The baby was doing this? The baby was able to control Moroi magic? How was that even possible?

Kill them, the voice said. The man, he's a dhampir. He has a stake and he'll try and kill you.

So he is dhampir, I thought. Just as the voice in my head said, the man pulled out a stake and ran to me. I knocked the stake out of his hands and punched him in the face. Tasha lunged at me and I used Dimitri's training to fight her off. Seeing them both rolling and moaning on the ground, I picked up dhampir man's stake and killed them both. Without any hesitation.

DPOV

I had to find Roza. She had gone missing. The baby could not be hurt, Roza could not be hurt. And just like when that Strigoi kidnapped her, I was in an irritated, frightened rampage. I searched through the woods that surrounded the Academy, I checked the Moroi dorms, I checked the dhampir dorms, I checked the gym and the cafeteria. I double-checked. I triple-checked. But when I couldn't find a glimmer of her, I punched the wall, sending painful sensations up my arm. She was nearby, I could feel that, but at the same time she was far away.

I could ask the Princess... I shook the thought off. The Princess's bond with Roza only went one way. I vaguely knew the whole incident occured once Roza found out about Tasha trying to make me kiss her. She compelled me. I tried fighting it, but Roza helped break it. She was upset and slapped me across the face.

"Damn it," I muttered.

"Belikov." I turned and saw Celeste sprinting to me.

"What?" I growled.

"Petrov wants you. Now."

... in Alberta's office ...

"Something's bothering you," Alberta said flatly.

"Of course something's bothering me!" I bellowed. "Roza's missing and nobody can seem to find her!"

Alberta put a hand up and looked at me sternly. "Something more is going on between you and Hathaway, isn't there?" I stared blankly at her. "Isn't there?" she snapped.

"Define 'more,'" I seethed.

"Romantic," Alberta said simply.

"What if there is?" I challenged. Something about this seemed familiar but different at the same time.

Alberta glared at me. "Do you know who the baby's father is?"

"Does it matter?" I growled.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Listen, Belikov, you better—"

"Better what?" I barked. "Who cares if I'm romantic with Roza? Who cares? So what if the baby is mine? Who is going to stop me from being with her?"

Alberta's glare deepened. "I am."

"How?" I seethed.

With the wave of her hand, I left. She wasn't going to take me away from Roza. I knew the consequences for being in love with a dhampir. I knew the consequences for having sex with an underage girl. I knew the ending would be different than before.

QUICKY A/N: YOOOOO! WHAT'S UP, REVIEWERS? PLEASE TELL ME THIS CH. WAS GOOD! I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS THOUGHT OF IT. :) REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! AND, I HEARD THERE'S A VA MOVIE COMING OUT! ANYONE KNOW IF THEY GOT ANY NEW CAST MEMBERS?

:D :D

YOURS TRULY,

~SMITHY