Hello hello! It's a bit on the shorter side today, but it felt that was where I wanted to end this chapter. I just finished drafting it, and I apologize if there are any errors.

Two Years Later

"Does Christian seem a little edgy to you? I mean more than usual? He was pretty snarky with me today."

I shrug nonchalantly at Rose as I finish typing my message to Christian, promising that I would ask Rose on his behalf. Christian has been planning to propose to Lissa for weeks now and has the whole thing planned out, except for the ring. I have tried to help Christian find the ring, but Christian can't seem to find the right one. Leading to Christian hoping that Rose would help him do this. But he is too wound up to ask himself.

"You know something," Rose states, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her brows at me. I come to stand in front of her and place my hands on her hips, running my fingers in circles. "I think you should call him. He has a favour to ask but he is too nervous that you'll say no. Even though I've told him that you wouldn't."

Rose chuckles at me before realizing that I'm being serious. She rolls her eyes and pulls my phone from my pocket and dials Christian's number. I squeeze her gently and move to pull away but she narrows her eyes and I step closer, brushing my torso against hers.

"Pyro. Dimitri says that you need something from me?" Rose says when Christian picks up. Rose gives me a humourism look as she listens to him before a look of shock crosses her features. Her eyes flick to mine as they widen like saucers. "Of course I would do that Christian. You should have asked sooner," Rose say with a small smile on her face. I give her a smirk and she smacks my shoulder playfully as she finishes their conversation.

Rose looks down at my phone after disconnecting the call and tosses it onto the couch. "You've known that Christian was going to propose and didn't say anything to me?" Rose asks with a coyly. I shrug as I toy with the edge of her shirt.

"I couldn't say anything. It wasn't my place," I say simply. Rose snorts a laugh and playfully shoves me as she slips out of my grip and flops onto the couch. Rose gives me a large smile as I sit next to her and she curls into my side.

"Lissa is officially going to have a family again," Rose says softly, resting her head on my shoulder. I reach up and run my fingers through her hair. I hum and kiss her hair when she tilts her up to look at me. "I guess I am going ring shopping tomorrow," Rose says with a smile.

I cheer loudly as Rose walks across the stage to collect her diploma, turning to face the audience as the chair of her program places the sash over her shoulder. I take a few pictures on my phone with a chuckle, knowing that Rose didn't want to come to the ceremony to begin with. This was her day too, and there are plenty of Guardians here to protect the Moroi present. Rose smiles as she shakes the Dean's hand and walks off the stage to return to her seat. Abe was able to get perfect seats and we are close enough that if I threw something, I would be able to reach the girls. Rose looks over her shoulder as she searches the crowd and her eyes land on me.

I give her a smile and mouth my love to her, making the uneasy look on her face disappear into a glorious smile. Rose turns back to face the stage as the rest of her class collect their diplomas and the rest of the ceremony flies by. The moment we are able to meet up with the graduates I am up out of my seat. I wait for Rose's parents, Christian and a few others to exit the row and we all walk out together to find Rose and Lissa.

I scan the crowd around us, thankful for once of my extreme height, and spot Rose and Lissa hugging their classmates. I steer the group towards them and whisk Rose up in my arms the minute she spots me.

"I am so, so proud of you," I whisper in her ear before pressing my lips to hers. Rose hums and smiles against my lips before I set her back on her feet, cupping my face and pecking my lips again. "Thank you. It was hard, but in the end, I did it."

I smile at her and pull my arms away when her parents approach, passing her over to them to give their congratulations. I turn and give Lissa my congrats, hugging her gently. Lissa flashes me a smile before turning back to Christian and speaks quietly to him. I tune back into Rose and her parents as Abe claps his hand down on my shoulder with a laugh.

"What do you know, son, we got ourselves a college graduate. I say we are in need of a celebration," Abe said with a smirk. I shake my head in jest and look to Rose, indicating to her that it is up to her if we go. Rose winks and accepts her father's invitation before reaching out to Lissa and her friends to join. I take a look around out of habit, catching Adrian's puzzled look.

"What is it?" I ask quietly, ducking my head down so that we aren't overheard. Adrian furrows his brows and coughs uncomfortably. "Both their aura's are weird. Lissa's is brighter than usual, almost euphorically happy but Rose's is filled with guilt.

I cross my arms together and knit my brows together. "Could Lissa's be like that because she and Christian are getting married? And guilt?" I ask. Adrian gnaws on his lip for a moment. "Maybe. But for Rose there is a lot, like enough to suffocate someone," Adrian says looking at the two girls. I clear my throat and look over to the group that has become my family in the last few years, Adrian included. Although, he is the only blood family I know in American, much to both of our shock when we discovered that a year ago.

Rose waves at us, drawing me out of my inner musing and I give her a small smile. Rose turns back to Lissa and Christian and tugs at her graduation gown, clearly warm and uncomfortable under it. I walk back over with Adrian and rejoin the group, quickly moving to unclasp the back of Rose's gown. Rose sighs happily and shrugs it off, draping it over her arm before turning to me. She stretches up on her toes and kisses the corner of my mouth. "My hero," she says softly.

I shrug and take the gown from her a take a moment to admire her outfit. A simple v-neck grey dress that brushes her knees and a pair of black heels. I place my hand on her lower back as she says goodbye to her classmates, but my mind swirls on one thought. What could Rose be so guilty about that it would cause Adrian to worry?

"Oh, my bed! I have never been so excited to see you!" Rose moans as she flops onto the bed, kicking her heels off and pushing herself up the bed. I tuck my stakes into the bedside table and lay down beside her, running my hand over her waist and resting on her stomach. Watching her face, I frown internally when my hand comes to a stop on her abdomen and her happy expression falters.

"What is it, Roza?" I ask gently, gauging her reactions. While she kept a smile on her face during dinner, it didn't quite reach her eyes and her laugh seemed a little forced.

Rose looks up at me and purses her lips. "What do you mean?" she asks, but I can hear the slight tremor in her voice. I tilt my head down and hold her gaze with mine. Rose furrows her brows at me, but I reach my hand up that rests on her stomach and smooths my thumb over the crease. "I mean that you have been off all night. You seem very…distracted?" I explain, knowing that I can't flat out ask her why she feels guilty without tipping off Adrian's involvement.

Rose rolls onto her side to face me, propping her head up on her hand and gives me a small smile. "I'm fine," she says as she strokes my cheek with her other hand. I catch her hand and bring her fingers to my lips, kissing them before placing a kiss over the ring that sits on her hand. I flick my eyes up just in time to catch a look on her face that I haven't seen before. It's not quite guilt, but it's a mixture of pain and distress. Rose looks up at me again and realizes that she wasn't quick enough to remove the look before being caught.

I raise my brow at her and squeeze her hand, giving her a gesture of support but silently begging her to tell me what's on her mind. Whether it be the fact that she was caught or the look I was giving her, Rose sighs and slips her hand out of mine and sits up against the headboard. I mimic her position against the headboard, resting my hand on her leg and looking over at her.

Rose roughly yanks her hand through her hair and sniffles quietly. "What I'm telling you, I'm telling my Dimitri, and this doesn't leave this room," Rose says as she holds my gaze with hers, her eyes boring into my soul with a heavyweight. I nod my head and squeeze her leg. Rose tilts her head back against the headboard and lets out a loud huff.

"Lissa and Christian are going to move their wedding up. Lissa is pregnant."

I choke on my breath as my eyes widen, making a small frown work across Rose's face. "And this upsets you?" I ask hesitantly, trying to draw the root of the problem from her. Rose shakes her head, but I notice tears starting to swell in her eyes. I move my hand from her leg and take her hand in mine, lacing my fingers with hers.

Rose chuckles humorlessly and clears her throat. "No. I mean I'm happy for them, they deserve this but… I have never been jealous of Lissa like this." I frown at her as I take in her statement. What exactly is she jealous of? We are set to get married at the end of next month. I run her sentence over in my head a few times but draw a blank.

I look at Rose's sullen face for a few minutes before shaking my head slightly. Rose pulls her bottom lip into her mouth, pressing her teeth into it. "Lissa has had so many things that I've wanted, but never been jealous of; a good family, a home, social standing, the opportunity to do whatever she wants. But there is only one thing she can do that I wish I could too. She can give her husband a baby… and I can't," Rose says as her eyes fall to her lap, her voice becoming quieter the further into her statement she gets. My heart drops at the statement and I wrap my arm around her shoulder, pulling her to my chest as the tears she was trying to keep at bay roll down her cheeks.

"What kind of friend am I? My best friend tells me she is having a baby and the first thing I feel is jealousy! And now I feel horrible because as much as I am happy for her, I hate the fact that she can do that," Rose cries into my shoulder. I rest my head on top of hers as I hold her tightly, rubbing my hands over her back and rock her gently. I know that giving up the possibility to father a child was something that I had come to terms with when I decided that I wanted a life with Rose, but I never realized that Rose would feel the pain that I tried to ignore myself. I also never thought Rose would want to be a mother.

I tilt my head down and press my lips into her hair, wishing that I could take this pain she feels away. I would do anything to save her from the ache in her chest, but there is very little I can do at this moment. Rose pulls her head up from the crook of my neck, reaching up to wipe her hot cheeks, her eyes avoiding mine. I cup her chin and tilt her head up so I can look her in the eyes.

"You want a baby," I say quietly. Rose bites down on her bottom lip again, her assault there causing blood to pool beneath her teeth. I gently thumb her lip from her mouth and rest my forehead against hers. Rose licks her lip and nods against my head. I lift my head up and give her a small smile, cupping her cheeks and wipe the straggling tears away.

I peck her lips gently before kissing her heated cheek, stroking her other cheekbone tenderly. "If you want a baby, we can have a baby. I would never deny you that," I say but Rose shakes her head.

Rose rolls over onto her knees and places her hands on my neck, rubbing her thumbs against my jaw. "But I want your baby," she whispers hoarsely, her eyes swimming behind her tears. I pull her face towards mine and press my lips to hers. "We will figure something out, okay?" I promise as I tuck a wayward curl behind her ear.

I press my lips to Rose's again to seal my promise to her and then pull her back down to my chest, twisting my fingers into her hair as she rests her ear on my chest, curling around me. I squeeze her shoulder as her laboured breathing evens out. I tilt my head down to find her asleep on my chest and gently slid out from under her. I change into pyjamas and pull out a set of Rose's before carefully pulling her into a sitting position in my arms, hiking her dress up over her head. I dress Rose for bed and tuck her under the covers before laying back down beside her, pulling her close to my body.

I shake my head at the members of my bachelor party, particularly Christian who is wandering around in a blow-up T-Rex costume, trying to hold his drink in his hands. I chuckle and bring my glass to my lips, sipping the cold vodka slowly and try not to laugh.

"We should be video tapping this," Adrian laughs bringing his glass to his lips as well, pointing with his other hand at Christian. Christian and Adrian wanted to throw me a party, but I was hard set about not having any strippers, much to Adrian's disappointment. So we settled with going to a bar outside court with a handful of Guardians and our close male friends to a night out.

"How did you manage to smuggle that damn thing in here?" I ask Adrian and he snorts loudly. Eddie sags down into the seat next to me, dragging one of the beer bottles across the table. "Human girls are nuts! I don't understand how they can drink like they do," Eddie grunts. I laugh at his expense because I have watched him dodge women all night. I have too, I've been avoiding advances all night.

I take a look around and see a gaggle of barely clad women looking in our direction from the bar and bump Eddie's shoulder. "I think your herd found you," I snicker, and Eddie jumps from his stool and moves across the bar, trying to lose the gaggle.

"Alright, I have a very serious question for you," Adrian says setting his glass down. I groan and drink the last of my glass before waiver the waiter over. I gesture to my glass and the waiter nods and heads back to the bar to get me another one. "Yeah? What is that?"

Adrian clears his throat and turns to look at me with a frank expression on his face. "If you could get anything in the world as a wedding gift, what would it be?" Adrian asks and I look up at him. If I could have a magical wish granted, I would ask to be able to start a family with Rose, but I know that it will never happen the way we both dream of.

I voice this to Adrian, and he furrows his brows at me as he chews on his fingernails. "Couldn't you get a donner?" he asks and I shake my head. "No. Rose wants to be able to have my child, but we looked into it and we would never be able to come up with the money to get an egg donor. We would be better off adopting, but that is also tricky because we are both Guardians," I say with a frown, remembering Rose's downcast expression when we found this out.

Adrian shakes his head and picks his glass back up. "If any two people in the world should be able to have a kid, it's you two. Could you imagine the genetics there? That would be one hell of a kid," Adrian says whimsically, sipping his scotch. I nod my head and thank the waiter as he sets my new glass down on the table. I pick it up and drink the whole glass in one gulp. "It would be."