A/N: Hey, guys. I'm pretty much out of corny greetings :(.

Sorry this update took so long...I just haven't been on my computer in days :P that, and...I only got 9 reviews. Serious mood-killer. I don't know how to motivate you guys to review anymore :( I don't even know why no one's reviewing anymore. I mean, does this suck or something? Do you guys not like the story anymore? Or is it because updates are so sporadic? That last one...I can't really control that. I have a very busy life, and I barely have time to go on my computer anymore. And I'm sorry for that. But I'm really doing the best I can, and you guys should know that. That's all I can say, really. But, I'd like to say a BIG thank you to the 9 people that took the time to leave me a review. You guys are honestly the best!

Anyways...I'm working on a new oneshot right now. I'm not saying what it's called, or what it's about, because I don't wanna spoil anything. But I've posted a teaser on my facebook page, and I'm going to post more. So, if you want to read more about it, add 'Sarah Ozera Fanfiction' on facebook :) lotsa good stuff on there.

Well, enough of my moping and stuff. I'll let you guys read now.

~ Sarah Ozera ~

~ Chapter Twenty-Four: Unexpected ~

One Month Later

Julian's POV

WE'D BEEN BACK AT THE ACADEMY for over a month now, and I missed Annika like crazy. We Skyped every day, but it wasn't the same as holding her and kissing her, or feeling her touch.

It seemed like her belly grew bigger every day. I wished I could be with her to watch our baby grow, but Mom and Dad had refused, saying that there was no reason for me not to go back to the academy. It sucked, but I had to do what they said. At least I'd be with her by the weekend; her due date was only a week away, and my parents said I could go home until two weeks after the baby was born.

Sighing, I set my book bag on the floor and sat down at my desk. I turned my laptop on, logged in, and texted Annika, letting her know that I was online.

I saw moments later as she logged in, and I started a video chat with her.

She grinned widely. "Hey, Jules," she said. Her brown eyes shone with happiness, though there was a tightness in them.

"Hey, Nik. What's up?" I asked her.

She yawned and rubbed her belly. "Just woke up from a nap. Your daughter decided she wanted to kick hard and wake me up." She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Well, my sleep wasn't that restful, anyway. I haven't felt good all day, and my back is killing me."

"Have you told your mom?" I questioned.

She shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Don't worry, I think I'd know if I was going into labor," she joked, giggling.

I looked at her skeptically. "You sure? 'Cause you look like you're about to pop, Nik. The baby's huge."

She smiled lovingly, rubbing her tummy. "I'm sure. Our monkey isn't coming out today. I think she knows that she has to wait for her daddy to come home."

I let her words reassure me, and we settled into a normal conversation, like we had every day.

As the minutes passed, her face tightened just a little bit more. I could tell that she was in pain, but she was trying to hide it.

"Nik, are you sure you're okay?" I asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," she replied, her voice slightly breathless.

"Annika, come on. A blind person could see how much pain you're in."

She sighed. "Okay, I'm in a little pain. But it's nothing I can't deal with, okay?" Just after she said it, she inhaled sharply, wincing.

"Hang on," she told me, standing. She walked away, and I heard her calling for her mother. I couldn't hear the conversation at all, so I waited anxiously for her to come back.

When she did, she had a weird expression on her face. She chuckled nervously.

"Uh, Jules, how fast do you think you can get here?" she asked.

My eyes widened. "Shit. We'll be there soon, okay?"

She nodded.

"Don't be scared, Nik. You'll do fine," I said softly.

She inhaled deeply. "Right. I'll see you when you get here."

"See you." With that, I logged off and shut down my laptop.

I ran straight to Skylar's room, where I knew that she was hanging out with Alek. I knocked on the door, running a hand through my hair nervously.

Skylar opened it. "Jules?" she questioned.

"Uh, we need to get to Court. Like, we seriously need to leave right now."

Her eyes widened with understanding, and she and Alek quickly followed me out.

We'd been told the plan in the event that Annika went into labor early. The three of us were to get to Court as fast as we could, while the others could catch up later. We'd be taking an academy jet.

We went straight to Kirova and let her know what was going on. She immediately got us one of the jets, which we thanked her for.

As I was walking out the door, she said, "Good luck, Julian."

I turned. "Thank you, Headmistress Kirova."

She winked, and I left.

We boarded the plane quickly, and then we were off.

Annika's POV

All throughout my conversation with Julian, I was uncomfortable and in pain. I'd tried to hide it, but I knew he could tell. Especially when that first sharp pain hit.

And so I got up to tell Mom what was going on.

I found her in the living room, typing away on her laptop. She looked up and smiled at me when she walked in.

"Hey Peanut," she greeted me. "What's up?"

I cleared my throat. "I think it's time."

Her expression turned puzzled. "Time for . . . ?"

I eyed her meaningfully, and realization dawned on her, her eyes widening. "Shit. Go grab your bag, honey. I'll call your father."

I nodded and headed back to my room to tell Julian what was going on. I could see that he was nervous, though I knew that he was trying to appear calm for my sake. He assured me that he and the others would be here soon, and so I turned my laptop off and grabbed my bag.

Another sharp pain hit, and I sucked in a deep breath through my teeth. I had to sit for a minute until it passed, at which point I lifted my bag and left my room, closing the door behind me.

"You're father's going to meet us there as soon as he can," Mom informed me as we walked out the door.

I nodded mutely, sighing.

Mom wrapped an arm around me. "Don't be scared, sweetie. Everything will be okay. You'll be just fine, I promise," she said softly, kissing my cheek.

We made it to the hospital a few minutes after that, at which point I was taken to a room. I changed into one of those stupid, ugly hospital gowns and tied my hair up.

I laid down on the bed, and a nurse came in and hooked me up to an IV and a fetal monitor. The IV sucked, because I loathed needles.

Lissa and Christian arrived moments after I got settled in. Lissa was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement, while Christian's excitement was more subtle.

"I can't believe it's time already," he mused. "It feels like the past nine months have flown by."

"I know! Just think: In a few hours, we're going to be grandparents!" Lissa exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Holy shit, I'm gonna be a mom," I murmured. Funny how it was just hitting me. I mean, I wasn't stupid; I knew that I was going to have a baby. But it's a whole other thing when you realize that you're going to be a mom. It's like, you're suddenly responsible for another life. And let me tell you, that thought scared the hell out of me.

Mom took my hand and squeezed it, misty-eyed. "Yeah," she agreed, "you're gonna be a mom. And you're gonna do great, sweetie."

I offered a smile. "Thanks, Mom."

She smiled back, winking.

Dad finally showed up half an hour later. He ran over to me and leaned down to hug me tight.

"Sorry I'm late, honey. I had a hard time finding someone to take my shift watching the gate," he apologized.

I smiled. "It's okay, Dad." A contraction hit, and I winced. "You didn't miss much," I panted out.

He let me squeeze his hand as hard as I needed to until the contraction passed. His familiar callused hands comforted me, and I shot a grateful smile his way.

One Hour Later

"Where's Julian?" I asked, my voice a pain-filled moan. My water had already broken, and contractions were worse now. I refused to get an epidural, though; I wanted to do this naturally.

"He'll be here soon, sweetie," Mom replied softly, rubbing my hand. She let go and stood, stretching. "I have to pee," she announced.

I managed a chuckle.

As soon as she took a step, she paused. I heard her sharp intake of breath as she laid a hand over her belly.

"Roza?" Dad questioned. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she said cheerfully, turning to smile at him. "Perfect, actually."

He eyed her doubtfully. "Rose, seriously."

She sighed. "Okay, I'm experiencing some mild pain. But I'm okay, it's nothing," she assured him.

He nodded, but looked as if he didn't believe her one bit, watching her closely as she waddled off to the bathroom.

We sat in silence for a moment. Dad's forehead was crinkled, and he looked stressed out.

Dr. Keith came in to check on me.

"You're around three centimetres dilated," she informed me, smiling. "You're progressing nicely, Annika."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dr. K."

She winked and left.

I sighed heavily. I wanted Julian here with me.

I glanced at the clock. He should be here any minute, right?

Unwelcome thoughts of something happening to their jet flooded my mind. I couldn't let myself consider the fact that something might've happened to them. I'd go crazy.

God, Annika, stop worrying, Alek said in my mind. We're landing in a few minutes.

You have such an overactive imagination! Skye chimed in.

Whatever, I grumbled to them. I was just relieved that nothing had happened.

Mom came out of the bathroom, a nervous smiled on her face.

"We have a slight problem," she said, chuckling nervously.

"What is it?" Dad asked immediately, his forehead crinkling even more.

"My water broke."

It was silent for a moment, everyone too shocked to say anything, before I finally said, "You've got to be fucking shitting me."

She shook her head. "Uh-uh. This baby's coming."

Dad swore in Russian and ran out of the room to get a nurse. And then, just like that, Mom was gone, and I was left with Lissa and Christian.

"This is nuts," Christian commented, coming to sit beside me. "I mean, what are the odds of you both going into labor on the same night?"

"I know," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. Don't get me wrong, I was happy that Mom was having the baby. What I wasn't happy about was the fact that I wouldn't have her with me when I had the baby.

Another contraction hit, and Christian held out a hand for me to squeeze. Poor sucker.

I squeezed as hard as I could, and his face screwed up in pain.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

"Christian, don't be such a wimp. Just think about what she's going through," Lissa said softly.

He glared at her. "I'd like to hear you say that while she's crushing the bones in your hand, Liss!"

Lissa just rolled her eyes, and then the door opened.

Julian, Alek and Skye walked through the door. Even though I was in pain, I smiled widely at them.

"Annika," Julian breathed, striding over to me and leaning down to kiss me softly. I let go of poor Christian's hand so that I could hug him.

"Took you long enough," I said softly.

"Sorry, the jet had to be prepared and everything," he said apologetically.

"The main thing is that you're here." I exhaled deeply, and the contraction was over.

"Where's Mom?" Skylar asked, glancing around. She then added, "And Dad, for that matter."

I sighed. "Mom went into labor, too."

"Jesus," Alek murmured, eyes wide.

Lissa cleared her throat. "If you guys are okay here, we're going to Rose's room for a bit. Okay?" We all nodded. "Call us if you need us."

"Bye," I said, smiling at them.

"Bye, sweetie," they replied in unison before walking out the door.

Skye sat beside me on the bed. "Are you scared?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Not really. Nervous, yeah. I mean, it's gonna hurt, but I don't care. I'm just ready to see her, y'know?"

She nodded. "We're ready to see her, too."

"What do you think she'll look like?" Alek asked.

"I think she'll have Julian's hair and eyes, but my face," I replied.

"Same here," Julian added. "And she'll be perfect."

At that moment, another contraction hit.

"Damn," I breathed, clutching the side of the bed.

"A contraction?" Julian guessed.

I nodded, still clutching the bed.

It soon passed, and I sunk back into the pillows.

"She'd better hurry up and come out," I muttered. "I am so over this."

Rose's POV

"I feel so bad, Dimitri. She needs me," I said, looking down. I knew that it was irrational to feel guilty about this, but I couldn't help it. I felt like I was abandoning her when she needs me most.

Dimitri tilted my chin up. "Roza, stop. It's not your fault. She knows you'd be with her if you could."

"She's probably terrified, though . . ."

"Rose, come on. She'll be fine. I'll check on her every hour to make sure of it. Okay?"

I sighed. "Okay."

"Good. Now, just focus on you and our son."

I smiled and rubbed my tummy. "I can't wait to see him," I murmured.

"Me either, Roza. Our little Kolya will be perfect," he agreed, kissing my forehead.

The door opened then, and Lissa and Christian walked in.

"The kids are here," Christian informed us.

"Just the three of them?" I asked.

Lissa nodded. "The others will be here later."

I sighed. "At least she has them with her." No matter what, I'd always feel bad for not being with her. This was the time when she needed me the most, and I couldn't be there. I felt like a horrible mother.

Dimitri, of course, knew what I was thinking. He rolled his eyes. "Roza, you can't feel guilty about going into labor."

I stuck my tongue out at him, and then a contraction hit. I moaned in pain and grabbed Dimitri's hand.

This was going to be a long night.

So, Rose and Annika both went into labor a few days early, and on the same night :P what do you guys think is gonna happen?

I hate to do this. I really do. But I want to be at at least 580 reviews before my next update. Sorry, but I have to get you guys to review somehow.

Next up: Lives are brought into the world...and one is taken from it ;)

Until next time!

~ Sar ~