A/N: Okay folks, I finished the entirety of VA today and I loved it. Unfortunately, literally everything I've written is AU. But that's okay. Who doesn't love a good AU? I'd love reviews, even if it's just one word. I really want to know what you guys think. And feel free to bombard me on Tumblr (herguywednesday) with asks, I'll talk about the books and Romitri with everyone, all day, every day =)

"Roza? Roza, can you hear me?" Dimitri's voice was cutting through the darkness.

"Mmm," I mumbled, trying to blink my eyes open.

A rough, heavy hand captured mine and I could feel a thumb rubbing circles on the back of my hand.

"Comrade..." I mumbled, opening my eyes and then quickly closing them against the light.

"Rose, can you open your eyes for me?" A different voice asked; one I didn't recognize.

I opened my eyes and resisted the urge to wince.

"What the hell happened?" I grumbled, looking around and locking eyes with Dimitri.

His forehead was furrowed in worry, but as soon as he saw me, he relaxed.

"Strigoi attack," he said simply.

I shook my head, "Yeah, no, I remember that. But we got them all, didn't we?"

"One more came and threw you after we finished off the rest. You hit your head pretty hard," he brushed hair off of my face, "You slept for a long time."

"How long?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

"A day," Dimitri winced as I exploded.

"A DAY! I was knocked out for an entire day!?"

"Rose, there was nothing we could do, we had to wait it out," Dimitri's voice was calm, and I felt a little better.

I sighed, "I know…I just hate losing control."

"I know," Dimitri said, his hand squeezing mine.

Another man cleared his throat. I looked up and saw a doctor.

"Guardian Belikov, I'd like to just double check Guardian Hathaway for a concussion and other damage," he said, moving closer to the bed.

"Of course," Dimitri stood up, "I'll be in the hallway."

I wanted desperately for Dimitri to stay with me, but I caught his eye and he nodded. He knew I would be okay. I put on my guardian face and nodded.

The doctor whipped out a penlight and began shining it in my eyes.

"Geez, warn a girl first, would you?" I muttered, scowling against the brightness.

"Sorry, Guardian Hathaway. It seems you have a mild concussion, a very lucky result after being thrown across a yard by a Strigoi," he wrote something on a notepad, and then slipped the bad into his pocket.

"Yeah, I could've told you it was a concussion. I've had my fair share," I grumbled as he began taking hits at my knees with a rubber hammer.

"I'm aware, your file is thicker than most," he said, writing more down on his little notepad.

"I've seen more than most," I grumbled again, a headache starting to pulse behind my eyes. I just wanted to get out of here and head home; maybe cuddle with Dimitri and eat a hamburger.

That shut him up. Good. I was so not in the mood for conversation. Luckily, my exam finished up a few minutes later, and Dimitri was allowed back in the room.

He came to my side and held my hand, a question in his eyes.

"Mild concussion. Bumps, bruises, a couple of shallow cuts from hitting the wall, but I'll be good as new in a couple of days," I said, glancing at the doctor, "I cover all of it, doc?"

The Moroi doctor sighed exasperatedly, something I was very used to, and nodded, "Yes, Guardian Hathaway, you covered everything. I will give your paperwork to the nurse and she'll discharge you."

He left the room, muttering that he didn't get paid enough to deal with guardians like me. I was flattered.

Dimitri laughed, "You really can't go for long without driving someone crazy, can you?"

I shrugged, "Part of the old Hathaway charm. Now help me up, comrade. I wanna get home!"

"Somehow I think the 'old Hathaway charm' comes from the special Mazur brand of crazy," Dimitri said, letting me pull myself up using his hand as leverage.

I sighed, "You might be right. That old pirate mobster of a vampire I have for a father contributed a little too much to the Rose Hathaway personality genes."

Dimitri covered a laugh with a cough and handed over a small bag, "Lissa sent this."

"Oh," I gasped, "I can't believe I forgot about Lissa! How is she?"

Dimitri untied the hospital gown I was wearing, "She's fine. Upset we wouldn't let her heal you, but fine."

"Good," I pulled a pair of jeans on, "I hate when she uses her magic for me."

There was a twinkle in Dimitri's eyes, "We know."

He handed over a sweater, and helped me pull it on. Apparently getting thrown into a garage will bruise your back, who knew?

"Ugh, I can't wait for some food. Do you think Christian would cook up some hamburgers or possibly lasagna, or maybe pierogis, ooh and maybe—" Dimitri clamped his hand over my mouth, effectively shutting me up.

"Roza, I think your eyes are bigger than your stomach. But yes, Christian might make you something," he paused, considering, "If you ask nicely."

"Damn, and there's my weakness. I'm very rarely capable of asking nicely," I shook my head, pulling my coat on and pulling my hair from the collar.

"I don't know," Dimitri said, handing me the ponytail holder that had been keeping his brown hair out of his eyes, "You seem capable of asking me to do things nicely."

"You don't count," I smiled, pulling my hair up into a ponytail, "If I'm not somewhat nice to you, things I like get taken away."

Dimitri's smirk sent my heart racing, "Oh really? What things?"

I bumped his side with my hip, "Oh you know. That really amazing black bread Olena taught you to make, your annoying Zen-master sayings, private training lessons."

I wiggled my eyebrows as I said the last thing, and Dimitri burst out laughing.

"You're too much, Roza. Now come on," he grabbed my elbow," Let's get you checked out."

I followed Dimitri to the nurse's station, leaning against the counter as he talked to the nurse in charge.

I watched as a few people came and went; several dhampir guardians with varying states of injury, a small Moroi girl who looked like she had gotten some sort of Barbie accessory stuck up her nose, and a Moroi nurse wheeling a small plastic bassinet down the hallway.

My eyebrows shot up as she came to a stop next to the counter I was leaning against.

She gave an angry sigh, but I wasn't paying attention to her. My gaze was locked on the beautiful baby sleeping in the plastic basinet.

"Marta! We have a problem," she announced, taking the attention of the nurse who Dimitri had been speaking with.

Marta looked up sharply, "Diana! I am busy. Can't it wait?"

I watched, fascinated, as Diana began gesticulating wildly with her arms.

"No, it can't wait! Do you remember the young dhampir that was in on Monday? No? Well, she's gone. Up and left. No note, not explanation, nothing. She leaves and doesn't take her baby," Diana was growing increasingly upset.

A dhampir mother had left her baby behind? I looked back at the infant; she (he? I couldn't tell) was asleep, but her (his?) little mouth was opening and closing.

Something shifted in my stomach. This was it. This was my baby. I needed this baby, and it needed me.

I looked up at Dimitri, locking eyes with him.

"I know that look, Rose. I very rarely like the consequences that come with that look," he warned.

I brushed him off, "Dimitri, please. I know you're thinking the same thing I am."

That was 100% false. I had absolutely zero clue as to what my husband was thinking.

"Rose," he drew my name out.

I grabbed his hand, "Look at…her?" I took a guess on the baby's gender.

Dimitri sighed, but looked down at the tiny infant. The second his eyes locked on her face, I knew I was in. I saw the shift in his expression; felt the tension leave his arm.

I grinned as a small smile graced the corner of his mouth, "You know I'm right."

And then, just as quickly as Dimitri's expression changed, it changed right back, "Rose, we talked about this. We're not ready."

"We talked two months ago! What if we've changed?" I was edging dangerously close to sounding like a petulant child who hadn't gotten a toy.

"You think we've changed that much in two months?" Dimitri raised one skeptical eyebrow. Damn, I still wished I could do that.

I shrugged, "It's possible…Stranger things have happened."

Dimitri squeezed my hand, "And how would the logistics of this happen? Who would stay home with a baby? Rose, we're not ready to give up our lifestyles."

But, even as he spoke, I could see the longing for a baby in his eyes.

I turned to Diana, who was still talking animatedly, and tapped her shoulder. She jumped, startled, and faced me.

"What's going to happen to…it?" I asked, pointing at the baby.

Diana looked at me, at Dimitri and then back to the baby, "Well, since her mother abandoned her, we have to send her to Court. They'll take care of her."

Her! A girl, and she'd be going to Court. Court, where my best friend was Queen and where I spent a very large portion of my time.

I could always work on Dimitri and then we could adopt her…maybe?

"Will someone want to adopt her?" I asked, wanting really badly to reach out and hold the baby.

Diana shrugged, "Depends. Sometimes they'll get adopted, other times they'll just get raised in Court until they're old enough to go to St. Vladimir's."

"Oh," I said, "Thank you."

Diana and Dimitri were both looking at me strangely, for different reasons of course.

"No problem," Diana said, a little hesitantly," Have a nice day."

I smiled and nodded at her, taking Dimitri's hand and walking to the elevators.

Dimitri was silent the entire ride to the ground floor. In a way I was almost grateful for that. I wasn't exactly sure what he'd say, and I wasn't sure what I'd say back.

As soon as we got to the car though, he pounced.

"What was that?" he asked, not angry, just curious.

I was about to play dumb, but I figured that might not have been in my best interest if I were to convince Dimitri we could adopt a baby.

"That was me taking interest in an abandoned baby's future?" I said, slipping into the passenger seat.

"Oh no, that's not all it was, Rose. You have a plan forming," Dimitri shook his head, "I don't know if I want to know what it is."

I smiled, "Comrade, I completely agree."

"What? I don't want to know?" Dimitri was confused.

"No, well yes, no. I mean, my plans somehow always work out. But, I meant that I think you're right about the kids thing. We're not ready," Phase One: Convince Dimitri I think he's right.

Dimitri laughed, "Rose, you forget how well I know you. I saw you look at that baby. There is no way you think I'm right."

Damn. He had a very good point. I forgot about the whole connected souls thing for a second.

"Okay, so maybe I don't agree. But I will stop talking about it," I confessed.

Dimitri regarded me carefully, and then squeezed my thigh, "You know, one day we will be in a place to give up guarding Lissa and Christian."

I knew that. I also knew that Dimitri was ready right now. What I didn't know was why he was holding back. But, I wasn't going to push. Not yet, anyway.

"Until then, it'll be you and me. Against the world," I said.

Dimitri smiled, "I think you're forgetting a few people."

Maybe I was, but one thing I couldn't forget was that tiny infant. I just knew that she was meant for us.