Author's Note: I was going to respond to the reviews I got for last chapter but they won't let me. So um..thanks and Go Red Sox. Oops, I'm sorry, wrong season. Go Patriots. (okay, I won't lie, that was a dig to a particular reader. I will have to discussA-Rod later with you.I think you know who you are hehe)

Dear Mama,

So…I did it. Papa must be so upset. I am sure that the Moscovitz's have already sent you a telegram, right?

I am a married woman Mama. Married. As in we have a new prince. Is that right? I'm terribly sorrybut I never did pay muchBut I don't know if I want that anymore…not not be married, but I mean, being a real princess. Having it as my job, do you understand what I mean? I mean, you had to choose to be one in order to be with Papa. But I have Simon, right? So I'll be free to live here, right?

I will miss you and Papa, Grandpapa and Grandmama very much. But I fear I will miss my brother more. I mean, I already do miss him as it is.He is the only one that really knows everything about me. He knows all my deepest secrets and all my dreams.

But now I know that Michael is the one that will know all that about me. That's how you said it would be. And how I want it to be. I never believedyou when you once told me that I would meet a man that would replace my dear brother in my heart. I mean, clearly I care for Michael in a very different way (we have come a long way since PrincessRosaland, haven't we Mama?).BUt it is very strange to have someone like this. I wonder what Simon will think of me!But,I am grown up now Mama. I am practically living out on my own in a really strange city.

I do want to have a bigger ceremony with my family and his family present after the war and when we settle down. He and I will decide what to do then. Isn't that wonderful, Mama?You always told me that American men weren't likePapa; theyalways were the ones to make decisions in the house. Michael asks for my opinion all the time. I think he learned that it is better to askrather than to have me give a long winded speech about what I think. He truly is a perfect man and I can not wait foryou to meet him!

I miss him terribly already Mama. Thenavy just sent us his official photograph. His hair is so short now! It wasn't very long before, but nowhis scalp is almost showing! He must be very traumatized; I know I would be if I had to cut my hair. But he looks so handsome in his uniform! So must older and moremature even!

There has been so much going on that I need to tell him about…to tell you about. I want to wait a bit longer before I say anything though.I wish you were here, it would make everything so much easier. It's difficult to talk to Mrs. Moscovitz about things since Michael is her son and all. She does not think I have more of a right to be upset about his absence than she does. I understand her missing her son that she has known for eighteen years. But she seems to believe that I am stealing him away from her, which I'm not, am I?

And of coursethey are very upset with the two of us. But I think they can kind of understand. They are starting to treat me more like family now. Not that they hadn't been before, but now I am literally a member of their family. I am very happy to have such a caring family here.

I must go work on my homework now. I still am getting used to not having a tutor come in the mornings. Bye Mama, I'll explain the wedding when I see you, hopefully very soon. There is so much more I want to tell you, but I can't. Not until I talk to Michael about it.

Love, Mia

I hated not telling her. Telling her that she was going to be a grandmother. But I couldn't. Not until everything was for certain.

"Mia, are you all right in there?" Mrs. Moscovitz asked, knocking on the bathroom door.

I had stopped throwing up, but I was always so dizzy. The doctor, who I visited with when I took Miranda there said that after the first trimester the morning sickness should go away. Of course, he was telling her this, not me. No one even knows I am pregnant. Well, Lilly does, but she does not like discussing it too much. She says it brings awful mental images to her.

I was in the bathroom looking at my belly. Wasn't I supposed to get a bigger one? Maybe I was just imagining being pregnant. Lilly says that sometimes that happens. You force the symptoms because you actually want to be. But I never wanted to have a baby I'm too young!

"Yes Mrs. Moscovitz. I'll be right out."

She opened the door, "We need to talk, Mia."

Uh oh. "What is it? Something about Michael? Is he-"

"He's fine. Come with me to the den," she said, taking my hand and pulling me to the room where every awful discussion that had occurred since my arrivalhad beenheld.

"Yes?" I asked, straightening out my skirt as I sat on the couch. "What is it?"

"Are you having a baby?"

My immediate response would be to lie. But why? I am a married woman. "I…I don't know. I am not sure."

"I am sure you and Michael have…consummated your union, correct?"

Oh. My. God. I am about to discuss SEX with my husband's mother! "Well…"

"I do not mean to embarrass you, Mia. But this is a rather important issue we have here. Do you fully understand the consequences?"

I bit my lip.

"Mia, you and Michael….you are having a baby, aren't you?"

I nodded silently.

She sighed loudly. Then followed that with silence. Only a few minutes later,"Very well then. We will go to our physician and have you looked over. My grandchild must be well taken care of. Does Michael know?"

I shook my head. "He left before I discovered-"

"We won't tell him until he gets home. We don't want him to be worried. Understood? You are to act totally natural and talk about school and gossip. You do understand that you will be unable to attend school, right? That is, once you start showing."

Dear Mother,

I fear I have some distressing news. I am going to be giving you a grandchild this summer. Please do not be upset. Mrs. Moscovitz will be taking care of me. Do not tell Grandmama, please. She'd have him murdered. Just remember that I am in fact a married woman now so I have every right to be pregnant.

Mrs. Moscovitz is making sure I am eating correctly and took me to her physician as soon as possible. He said that the baby will arrive in the middle of August. Isn't that frightening? Youalwayswarned me that pregnancy in the summertimeI will be tutored in their home. Mother, I am scared. I haven't really talked to anyone about this, so I shall confide in you.

I'm terrified of the pain this is going to cause me. And that Michael will not be available for me to get comfort from. He doesn't even know I am with child. His mother said it would be best not to tell him. That it would bring un-due stress to him. Mother, all I want in the world is for him to come home safely and to see our baby.

But for now I would make due with having you hold me and sing me my lullaby that you always sang to me when I was worried. I wonder if I shall sing to my child.

Do you think Father will be very upset with me? If that is the case, then do not tell him. He shall find out when he meets our little stranger.

Mother, I need your help now more than ever. Please support me.

-Mia

I wrote a similar letter to my father. I was a bit more timid with him since I was sure he would have the Genovian Guard (a royal security force that usually protected the palace from attack) castrate my poor husband.

MICHAEL:

We're on a training session now. Not too much to really tell. They told us that we'd be able to see our family soon…but I haven't heard anything about it. We were on a ship. I was going to work in the control room. Which is kind of interesting.

"How long has it been since you've heard from your girl?" my bunkmate, Adam asked.

"Two months," I replied.

"You got married, right?" he asked, folding his uniform according to code.

"Yes," I said impatiently. The mailman was coming by tomorrow. I had to write to Mia.

Mia,

I cannot believe it's beentwo months since I've seen your face! They finally have usout on the seas training and have deemed it appropriate to write (finally)I've missed you so much. But life here is not too bad. I like having the order to my schedule. Kind of. Okay, not really. I try to get through the days and know that with each passing day I'll be that much closer to seeing you.

When I come home we can figure all this out. I can't say too much here, but you know what I mean. I'll finish school. Who knows, maybe we'll even graduate together! Then I'll go to Harvard, like Dad wants. We can have a place in Cambridge. If your parents let us.

But the army will give us money for school and housing after this is over. So we can have a place together in Cambridge, like I said before, and then once I graduate we can sell it and move out west like we planned. And we can start our family. Well, I guess we could start our family while we are back east. That way my mother could help teach you how to take care of a baby. I'm sure you have no idea…sorry, but we both know you aren't the most domestic of wives. But that's one of the things I love about us; we get to learn together.

I want you to go to school too though. I'm not going to be like my dad who made my mother stay home and raise the kids. Mia…dear, we aren't going to be like our parents. We're going to have incrediable and exciting lives together. Times up for now, baby. I can't wait to hear from you again. And can't wait to see your face.
Love Always,

Michael

It was lights out then. "Night Adam."

It's weird, sleeping on a ship. It's taken awhile for me to get used to the swaying of the ship. But I liked this life. And I was hearing that Germany was bout to sue for peace any day now. Maybe only weeks left for the war in Europe. We'd only have to deal with Japan.

"Didya hear?" Kevin asked excitedly the next morning.

I looked at him strangely. "What?" I asked.

"We are doing a dry run this afternoon. But keep it quiet. No one is supposed to know," he whispered.

"How do you know then?" I asked.

"I overheard Stewart and Morgan calling."

"What did Captain Morgan say to Stewart?" I asked, tying my shoe.

He straightened my tie. "It can go at any minute. They are testing us. But I'll see you in the mess hall for lunch?"

I laughed. Our lunches were kind of a joke. Food supplies were limited…very limited. "Yeah, later man."