It took a few days for my anger to simmer, and in that time Alberta came to my room a few times to talk to me. She brought a home pregnancy test with her and I took it to prove a point, but seeing that stupid, pink plus sign was the nail in the coffin.

"Dr. Olendzki estimates you being roughly three weeks," Alberta said when I was finally able to put the stick down.

"I don't know how this happened," I said quietly, "How did this happen?!"

"She has a theory."

I looked at her and bugged my eyes out at her. "Well?!"

"She thinks that when you died in the crash that when the Princess healed you, it changed your genetics. She thinks that Spirit gave you more Moroi DNA markers. It seems to be the only explanation."

I sighed and rested my face in my hands, clutching my hair. "He's never going to believe me."

"You don't know that. I think that if we explain it to him-"

"We will not be explaining anything."

"Rose?"

I looked up at her and shook my head. "He won't believe me. Besides, we split up."

"I didn't realize you were seeing someone," Alberta said softly, sitting down next to me.

"Yeah well, it wasn't for very long," I said glumly, thinking about Dimitri. I didn't want to admit it, but I missed him. But I doubted that he missed me.

"I only ever saw you with Eddie and Dimitri, but as far as I'm aware Eddie was dating Meredith," Alberta said before trailing off, "Rose? Who was it?"

I swallowed roughly and cleared my throat. She already knew the answer. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to."

Even while Dimitri and I weren't doing our training sessions together, he still had a routine. So while I wasn't working out at the crack of dawn anymore, he still was.

It also didn't help that it was like I acknowledged I was pregnant and the vomiting started. So I was up at the time I usually would have been if I had training. I knew that because of the nice weather Dimitri would be running outside. I decided to wait for him on the bench, hands clasped between my knees.

I don't know if it was the hormones that were making me feel so sick, or if it was the idea of telling Dimitri. A very large part of me wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for the rest of my life, but the smaller part knew I needed to tell him. Even if he didn't believe me, or think I was crazy or that I cheated, I still had to tell him.

I had sat for long enough that I contemplated leaving when the door opened and the decision was made for me. I used the moments when he didn't recognize me to take him in. He looked exhausted and I could see it clearly on his face.

I stayed perfectly still as he walked towards me, looking down at his watch. He stopped the timer on it and looked up, stopping in his tracks.

"Rose? What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," I said quietly, my hands still wedged between my knees so that I wouldn't fidget.

Dimitri sighed and his jaw ticked a little.

"Rose. We know we can't be doing this."

"Look. I need you to listen to me for like, five minutes, and if you don't want to ever see me again, fine. But I need you to listen to me," I pleaded, jumping to my feet. "Please."

Dimitri dropped his towel onto his duffle and nodded, resting his hands on his hips as he waited.

"I also need you to have an open mind because I had a hard enough time wrapping my head around all of this too."

Dimitri's response was a raised brow. I ran my hands over my hair and shifted uncomfortably. I hadn't admitted it out loud, or internally to myself, and the realization that I was going to say it made me feel panicky. I took a shaky breath and could feel the pressure building in my eyes and chest.

And instead of telling him, I burst into tears instead. It startled him and he moved closer, reaching out to comfort me but I shook my head and stepped back a little. I didn't want to be coddled right now.

"I'm pregnant," I got out, "And I don't really understand how, but I am. It's why I passed out at the mall, Dr. Olendzki said my blood pressure dropped. Most likely because I hadn't been eating."

I expected him to get angry or think I was lying, but silence wasn't the reaction I was expecting. He blinked a few times and just looked at me. I crossed my arms around my waist as I waited for him to process what I said, but I felt my heart just sink. Irrationally, I thought it might help, but the rational part of my brain said this all sounded like a shitty rom-com. Girl dates mentor/teacher, has sex, and gets knocked up. Bang up job, Rose! Bang up job!

"Dr. Olendzki. thinks I'm about three weeks," I added when a few minutes had gone by and he still hadn't said anything. He nodded, which was better than silence. My eyes followed him as he moved to sit on the bench, his face eerily calm as he rested his chin on his folded hands, his elbows balanced perfectly on his knees.

I tilted my head as I waited for him to answer, but I just shook my head instead. I sighed and let my hands go limb at my sides, turning to leave. I don't know why I entertained the idea this could go any different.

"What are you planning to do?"

I stopped and turned back around. "I don't know yet," I said tiredly, "I hadn't even processed it. It took Alberta making me take a test for me to believe that the lab didn't mix up my blood work."

Dimitri nodded again. I hated that he wasn't saying anything.

"Whatever you decide, I'll support your decision," he said quietly, finally looking up at me. I nodded and cleared my throat, shifting on my feet.

"Well, um, I gotta go, because I feel like I'm going to hurl again and I'd rather not do on an empty stomach," I said jerking my thumb behind me. Dimitri nodded again and let out a small sigh.

"I'll see you later," he said quietly and I nodded while spinning on my heel, walking very quickly towards the exit and into the bathroom across the hall.

I didn't see Dimitri again for a few days, not until I got called into a meeting in Kirova's office. With my mother.

"I thought I had my right to privacy," I grumbled sinking down into my chair, arms crossing over my chest. Kirova raised her brows at me while Mom sighed in exasperation.

"Would you have told me?"

"Yeah," I said, "After I found a way across the county and under a rock."

Janine moved to stand in front of me, leaning back against Kirova's desk. "Rosemarie, I would have preferred if you had come to me."

"And I wonder why I didn't," I replied, "You've made it really clear in the past how important your reputation is to you. Your teenage daughter knocked up with an impossible baby doesn't really help that!"

Even I knew what I said was harsh, but I didn't like being ambushed.

"Sorry," I said looking away, looking out the window instead.

"The pressing matter is that you are in fact pregnant while adamant that you have only been intimate with a Dhampir. We need you to understand the severity of the situation should you be lying," Kirova said

"I'm not," I said firmly.

"Then we need to know who."

"I'd like their identity to stay confidential."

"And why is that?" Kirova asked snidely from her chair.

"Because it's what I want. I don't have to tell you anything. The reason this happened is because of me, not him. He doesn't need to be pulled into the bullshit I'm sure I'm about to go through. Now drop it!"

Kirova didn't seem to like my answer so much but was cut off when she started to talk again.

"I think we need to be more concerned about Rose's safety here. If Dr. Olendzki's estimation is right, Rose is very early in the first trimester. The combat classes will be amping up in preparation for the trials. I don't think that it will be smart for Rose to continue in those classes," Dimitri interrupted, steering the topic away from him technically and onto another topic I didn't like.

"If I don't do my trials, I won't graduate!" I cried, looking at him pleadingly.

"I agree," Janine stated, Alberta nodding her head as well. "What do you have in mind, Guardian Belikov?"

"I think that Rose should continue with private classes. I can alternate with another Guardian," Dimitri said easily, giving me a pointed look. He may not have said anything about the baby when I told him, but I would be stupid not to accept that he'd be firm on this. He was being protective without outing himself. He couldn't come out and refuse that I continue in my combat classes, but he could suggest it was no longer safe.

"And when everyone asks why I'm not in class?"

"We could say that your efforts during the ambush and the rescue mission showed us that there isn't anything else we could teach you from the curriculum. Private courses would be to tone the skills you already have while giving the rest of the novices more time with the instructors," Alberta said and I saw Janine nodding her head. I shook my head and looked back out the window. I was sitting right in front of them and they were talking like I wasn't in the room.

"You would still be able to graduate. We could even escalate your trials. It would mean that you could do them, while carefully monitored, and graduate. How does that sound?" Dimitri said to me, tilting his head to the side when I looked at him.

I shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest again with a sigh. "Fine."

"That is if you decide to continue the pregnancy," Kirova said snidely, and three heads turned toward her. I glared daggers at her, feeling unbridled anger rolling through me at the insinuation.

"What makes you think that I won't?"

"I expected that you would want to be able to guard Vasilisa. You can't do that if you're pregnant and caring for a newborn. I thought you'd want her in capable hands?"

"I think Lissa has a perfectly capable Guardian that can take my place until I am ready to Guard," I snapped, "Or have you forgotten that her Guardian is in fact standing in this room, and is twice the Guardian you'd ever get yourself."

That long-nosed bitch didn't get to insult me and Dimitri's ability and get away with it. Janine stood up from her place and walked around my chair, resting her hands on my shoulders.

"I think that we need to take a break," she said squeezing my shoulders, "How about you and I take a small walk."

I stood up and walked out of the office without waiting for her, not wanting to be in there any longer. I slipped out the side door and was blasted with a gust of air, which felt refreshing after being stuck in that room. Janine followed out quickly and leaned against the wall next to me, her arms crossed loosely over her chest.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you," I said kicking at the dirt on the ground.

"Why would you think that I'm disappointed you?"

I looked at her and pointed to my stomach, giving her a blunt look. Janine frowned but nodded her head.

"Am I disappointed that you got pregnant so young, yes. But I am not disappointed in you. You didn't know it could happen, and I believe that," she said calmly. I nodded and brushed my hair away from my face.

"How are you feeling? About being pregnant? I'm sure that you're feeling mixed emotions. Have you spoken to him?"

"Yeah. Well, I wouldn't exactly say spoken, I cried when I tried to tell him which made it very uncomfortable because things aren't good between us. I'm not really sure how to feel yet," I said tucking my hair behind my ears.

"You are sure that you want to go through with this?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. I thought I was clear about that earlier. Janine raised her hands in surrender, a fractional smile on her lips.

"I just wanted to make sure. I'm your mother, I have to ask. Maybe I could speak to Lord Szelksy, and take some leave while you're still in the Academy? I could alternate with Guardian Belikov on your private classes. That way, you wouldn't have to hide your pregnancy. It's hard to hide morning sickness. Besides, Elliot is always insisting I take my leave."

I snorted and smirked. I had never heard her refer to a Royal by their first name, but maybe there was a bit of familiarity with her charge simply because of years of service.

"Yeah. I've already experienced that. I had to sneak out of my Theory class before I blew chunks."

Janine chuckled a little with an amused look "Oh, you gave me some wicked morning sickness," Janine cajoled before giving me a soft look, "But it was worth it when I felt you move for the first time. It made all of it worth it."

I gave her a small smile. It was nice to hear her say that. I grew up thinking that having me was the worst thing that happened to her, that to some extent she resented me for it. But hearing her say that everything she went through was worth it helped.

"You think you're calm enough to go back in there? I promise I'll make it clear to Kirova that this meeting is simply for your education, not for her snippy remarks."

I nodded and stood up. "Yeah. But after this, I need a nap. This is stressing me out."

Janine nodded and wrapped her arm around my shoulder as we walked back into the school. I leaned into her a bit and smiled when she squeezed my arm, giving me some motherly affection.

"Oh trust me," Janine said as we walked with a chuckle, "You'll need all the sleep you can get."

I was starting to get annoyed. I was under the impression that pregnant women were glowy and happy. I was exhausted, cranky, and felt like shit.

I jolted upwards when something crashed onto my desk, wincing when movement pinched something in my neck.

"Hathaway. You may think you're better than everyone else, but now is not the time to sleep," Alto snapped before continuing his lecture. I grumbled under my breath and wiped my hand over my eyes before setting my head back down on the desk. Now I felt like I needed to puke again.

And it didn't help that Alto smelled like shit coffee and someone in the room had the most pungent odour. I groaned and closed my eyes again, trying to will the turning in my stomach away.

"HATHAWAY!"

I slowly lifted my head again and swallowed the bile that rose in my throat.

"I'll see you in detention after school. Go to Petrov's office," he snarked. I didn't have the energy to fight, so I stood up from my seat and thumped out of the room. I had my mouth clamped shut as I went to Alberta's office and knocked on the door.

I heard Alberta call me in and I opened the door, finding Dimitri and four other Guardians in the room. I took a deep breath before telling her I got kicked out, but the smell of someone's sweat reached my nose and I paled. I gagged and grabbed the garbage can by the door and hurled, holding my hair back so it wasn't in the way.

"Oh Rose," Alberta sighed softly as I heard the scrape of her chair. Another chair scraped against the floor as Alberta rubbed my back softly.

"Hathaway, you okay?" Guardian Wayland asked from her chair.

"She's fine. You know how cramps can get," Alberta supplied for me while I tried to breathe through the dry heaves.

"Oh shit, I remember what that was like. That's why I got mine yanked. Feel better hun. Alberta, we'll come back later," Guardian Wayland said as her chair moved and she stepped out of the room, patting my shoulder softly.

I heard the other Guardians leave and a small sob slipped through my lips, my stomach contracting when there was nothing left to come up. Alberta made soothing noises as she rubbed my back. I sniffed and sighed weakly, a whimper coming out.

"This sucks!"

"I know," Alberta said soothingly.

"Just wait until you actually feel it," I groaned, lifting my head to see that Dimitri hadn't left but had turned so he was facing us, his face pinched with concern.

"I have, I was your age," Alberta said.

I looked up at her and knitted my brows together. "What?"

Alberta shook her head gently. "It was ectopic," Alberta explained.

I frowned and stood up straight and blew a breath out of my mouth and groaned.

"How come you're out of class?" Dimitri asked quietly.

I rolled my eyes and sat in one of the vacant spots.

"I couldn't stay awake in Alto's class. Also, keeping my head down on the desk was helping fight the vomiting. He kicked me out and has me doing detention."

Alberta frowned. "I'll take care of it. How are you feeling now?"

I shrugged. "I still feel like I'm going to fall asleep standing up," I complained, "I barely sleep."

Alberta nodded and turned to her computer, typing for a few minutes and then printed something off. She signed the bottom of it and slid the paper to me.

"Take the rest of the morning, try to sleep. I found putting peppermint oil on my neck helped with the nauseous feeling when laying down. You can return to classes after lunch," Alberta said as she pulled a small cylinder bottle out of her desk and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I said unscrewing the call and sniffing the oil roller.

"Dimitri? Before you go on shift, please make sure she gets back to her room safely. We don't need her falling asleep on the way there," Alberta said with a bit of a chuckle. Dimitri nodded and got up, putting his hand gently on my shoulder.

I sighed and leaned against him, barely able to keep my eyes open. It wasn't exactly my pregnancy that kept me from sleeping, it was everything else. The stress of the situation, the stress of school, keeping this from everyone else, the uncertainty of what was going to happen next, and how I was going to do it. It also didn't help that Dimitri hadn't said anything since the meeting in Kirova's office.

"Have you slept at all this week?" Dimitri whispered.

I shrugged. "A little. I'm trying not to panic about all of this," I said quietly.

The walk to my dorm didn't take long, but my eyes were drooping the whole time.

"Are you going with Lissa and me to this easter thing at Court? Can I even fly?"

Dimitri squeezed my shoulder gently. "You can, you don't need to worry about travel until the end. And yes, I am. We are supposed to be leaving tomorrow," Dimitri said quietly so we weren't accidentally overheard.

I nodded and pulled my keys out of my bag and unlocked my door, pushing on the door to open it.

"What time do I need to be ready?"

"Meet us at dinner time?"

I nodded and stepped into my room and gave him a mute smile.

"Rose?"

I stopped closing the door and opened it so I could look at him. "Yeah?"

Dimitri seemed to struggle with the right words but he frowned and swallowed.

"If you start to get really sick, or not sleeping like this, please tell me?"

I smiled tiredly and nodded. "Of course. I'll find a way around to tell you."

Dimitri nodded and rocked back on his heels hesitantly. I knew that this was just as difficult for him as it was for me. He was terrified. I could see it in his eyes. He wanted to help me, hold me, and protect me, but he also needed to protect his family.

The only reason why I wasn't furious with him for being alone right now was because of that. I wasn't going to put them in danger. I couldn't.

This will be a slow upload as I am finishing the last chapters for Yours Eternally and then will be starting on part 3 of the trilogy.

Let me know what you think!:)