The house looked just how it was when we last visited Oksana and Mark's. Although I can't really say the last time we were here was an actual visit. It was more like a life or death emergency. Them being the doctors while I was the wounded. Kind of embarrassing now that I think back on it. Now here we are walking up to their house about to ask them to harbor a fugitive. How do we know they are even going to agree to it?

I felt Dimitri's hands gently grasp my shoulders. "How are you holding up?"

I shrugged, "Alright, I think."

"You think?" He stopped which caused my body to jerk to a stop. "What's on your mind?"

"Well," I sighed heavily. "Do you really think this is the best idea?" I glanced back at the car. Sydney was sitting up straight and neat as a pin. She looked very proper for being a runaway Alchemist. Then again she was an Alchemist.

He tilted his head slightly to the side, "I don't see why not?"

"You don't see..." I gripped my temples between my pointer and thumb. "There's so much that is wrong with this. We can't put innocent people like them in harm's way." I looked down at my feet. "Even for the protection of a friend."

Adrian popped his head out of the car window, "What's the hold up?"

I waved him away, "Shoo."

"Really?" He rose a brow and shook his head slowly. "Okay." He rolled the window back up and sat back. Frustration running clearly on his face.

"Roza..."

"Dimitri, Rose. What a nice surprise." Oksana was smiling sweetly with her hands full. She was obviously in the middle of cooking something. "Would you like to come in?"

My hands started to instinctively cover my stomach. I was wearing a loose shirt but my stomach was already starting to grow. "Hi. It's been a while. Um... Yea, we have two other friends with us. Would you mind if...?"

"Of course! Come in." She signalled at the odd pair sitting in the car. "Come in."

Dimitri walked in behind her while I waited on Sydney and Adrian. They were certainly keeping their space between them. Her arms crossed firmly over her chest as she made her way around from the front of the car. Adrian had his hands tucked securely in his pockets as he strode straight towards the house. And then both veered in opposite directions to go around me and to the door. I couldn't tell if it was Sydney that was nervous or Adrian.

"Okay. Sure. Come on guys." I walked in last and instantly caught the smell of something delicious. The house was filled with an aroma that made my stomach growl out loud. I wrapped my arms around myself and gently tightened up. "Shh."

Dimitri looked back at me and smiled. "It smells great."

Oksana patted his arm with her free hand, "Oh, I am just whipping up something quick. Mark hasn't been feeling too well and I've been so busy trying to keep up with all the chores." She wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Would you like some help with anything?" I cupped my hand on her shoulder.

"I couldn't ask you to..."

Dimitri loomed over us, "You don't have to ask. It's the least we can do."

She nodded, "Okay. Um, I just need to sweep and mop. Then there's the dishes but we can do those after we eat." Her smile was sweet and contageous. It was hard not to feel at home here. She made it all so serene and traquile.

"Sounds like a plan!"

Adrian scoffed. "Anything else you need? I can make a quick run to a store if you need any supplies."

I scowled at him. He didn't know which way was up around here little lone where a store was. I gripped his arm. "Already trying to escape?"

He smirked, "Just trying to be helpful."

"Naturally." I released him and he rubbed his arm. I'm sure it was more hurt pride than physical pain.

Oksana looked lost for words. "No. We usually just grow our crops here and if I do I will be sure to call on you. Thank you."

His smile dropped slightly but he managed to look kind, "Yes, ma'am."

Sydney was incredibly still as she stood in the back of the group. It was almost like she was trying to achieve invisibility. I nudged her gently, "You doing okay?"

She nodded, "Fine." Her eyes kept running around the room only to land back on Oksana.

"Oksana. This is our friend Sydney." I pulled her forward with me to the front of the pack.

She took her hand, "It's a pleasure, Sydney."

"Nice to meet you." There was a slight tremble in her hands.

Oksana frowned, "Are you cold, dear?"

She shook her head, "No, no. Just a little caught off guard."

"Sydney isn't use to being around many of us."Adrian grinned.

She brightened up, "Is that all?" She looked back at Sydney, "I can assure you that there is nothing to fear in this house."

Suddenly I shadow seeped into the room. Sydney coward back, bumping into Adrian. He grabbed her shoulders and steadied her. "Easy."

"Who's here?" Mark's voice sounded low and weak. Oksana wasn't kidding when she said he wasn't feeling well.

Dimitri and I stepped forward, "Hello."

"Ah, you two." He smiled. The dark circles under his eyes made him look older.

"And some guests." Oksana gestured towards Sydney and Adrian.

He nodded, "A pleasure."

Syndey bowed her head slightly, "Sir."

"Sir? What's with the formalities?" He laughed hoarsely. "You can call me Mark. I am Oksana's husband."

"Her husband?" Sydney looked from Oksana to Mark. "But you're..."

This reaction caused Oksana to giggle, "Not the average couple?"

She shook her head, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We get that reaction from time to time." Mark wobbled on his feet and decided the wall was the best support.

Dimitri took his arm, "You should sit down."

His smile looked a little embarrased, "Thank you."

We all sat down in the living room. Oksana looked around, "I'll make some tea." Then she disappeared into the kitchen.

"So to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" He leaned on the arm of the couch.

Dimitri sat forward, "We've actually come to ask a favor of you."

He swept his hand out in a grand gesture, "If we can help then we will try. Name it."

"We were hoping that you might shelter our friend here for a while." I rested my hand on Sydney's shoulder.

"Shelter her?" He looked at her intently. "If I may ask, from what?"

Sydney reddened when she noticed that Mark was still gazing at her. "I just," she cleared her throat, "I just have no other place to go."

"Tea's ready!" Oksana glided into the room balancing a tray full of cups. She set them down on the small coffee table. "Careful. It's still hot." She looked around at all the sullen faces. "What's going on?"

Mark sighed lightly, "Our friends here were wondering if we have room to house this young lady." He displayed a soft smile.

"House her? I see no problem in that." She smiled brightly, "May I ask why?"

Sydney sighed. But I spoke up before she could utter a word. "She just needs a place to stay for a while. She can be helpful around the house while Mark gets better."

Oksana nodded, "That doesn't seem like a problem to me." She patted Sydney's hand. "You are welcome here."

Sydney smiled back. I could see that it was forced but for anyone else that didn't know her like me would think it sincere. "Thank you."

"Is your boyfriend staying too?"

Sydney was shocked, "My boyfriend?"

"Her boyfriend?" Our voices were in unison.

Adrian just laughed, "I am not her boyfriend."

"Oh." Oksana shrugged, "I just assumed..."

"He is most definitely not my boyfriend." Sydney wrapped her arms around herself.

Adrian scoffed, "You're not exactly my type either, princess."

"And what exactly is your type, Adrian? Easy?" She scrunched up her nose and scowled at him.

"Whoa! Settle down, guys." I leaned forward to block their view from each other. "We are guests here."

Sydney settled down. Her cheeks burned red. "I'm sorry."

Oksana and Mark were still smiling. She shook her head, "It's no big deal."

Adrian sat back with his smug expression playing across his face, "Now that that's all cleared up, I should be going."

I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down to the couch. "And where do you think you're going?"

"To a hotel. I'm a big boy, see?" He pulled out a wad of money. "I can buy my own supplies and everything."

Dimitri stood up beside him, "We are going to stick together."

Adrian chuckled, "Us three? This ought to be fun."

"Us four." I stood up and joined Dimitri. "Sydney is still going to need us."

"And just how are we suppose to help Miss Sydney while we are here in Russia?" Adrian looked over at her and smirked.

She glared back at him, "It's called friends, Adrian. You should try and get some."

"Who can tolerate you long enough to be your friend?" He leaned back.

"You know, you talk alot of sh..."

"Guys! Seriously?" I stood between them again.

"I'm sorry but I can't stand him." She tried to scoot deeper into the arm of the couch.

He laughed, "The feeling is mutual."

"Well, let's all put on our big boy pants and try to act mature in the company of our hosts." I felt like a mother shunning her naughty children.

My body jerked back as a hand gently cupped my stomach. Oksana pulled back immediately following my reaction. "A baby?"

I instinctively covered my stomach. "What?"

"Don't tell me you didn't know?" She squinted at me like she was trying to burrow into my mind.

Dimitri chuckled, "It has been kept secret."

"And it's your child?" Mark eyed Dimitri.

Sydney scoffed, "I know how you feel."

He nodded, "Yes. As impossible as that may seem." He gave Sydney a warning glare.

Oksana's sweet smile returned, "Yeva told us to expect something impossible."

"My grandmother was here?"

"About a week ago, if I am right." Mark ran his hand through his hair and stared in disbelief.

Oksana nodded, "That seems about right." She placed her hand on his. His fingers enclosed around her's.

"She said that we were going to receive a quest. And with that quest we were going to discover that the impossible isn't always so out of reach." Mark was now staring at my stomach. "But what I am wondering is 'how?'"

"It's just a really long story." Dimitri stood behind me and gripped my shoulders gently.

Oksana stood up, "Let me serve dinner first. We have plenty of time to hear how this came to be." She disappeared into the kitchen once more but when she returned she had plates and bowls of food that were giving off that delicious aroma. My stomach clenched and growled. Oksana looked over at me, "Sounds like baby's hungry."

I gently patted my stomach. "Always hungry."

She put all the food down and kneeled in front of me. She placed her hands on my stomach and closed her eyes. Her face grew serious but at the same time kept that soft touch that was always present on her features. Now I wasn't sure if it was natural or just a calm that creeped over her.

I felt sensations pulsing from her hands and she smiled. "You're baby is very healthy, and very happy."

"You can sense that?" Dimitri knelt beside her. He seemed excited by the idea.

She nodded, "In a sense. The baby is too small for me to say what's on his mind but I can feel his emotions. His sensations."

"His?" Adrian now looked intrigued.

Oksana laughed, "Oh! Did I say he? I'm sorry."

"Wait." I placed my hand on my stomach, "You think he's a boy?"

"It's a common term we use when addressing an unborn. A boy is always the prefered sex." She stood and started passing out plates.

"Oh." I felt my heart drop. I don't know why but it made me feel sad.

Dimitri caressed my shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." I ran my hands over my stomach.

Oksana frowned, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get your hopes up." She dropped her head.

I waved away the comment, "Don't appoligize. I'm just having mood swings."

She smiled, "How far along are you, Roza?"

I looked at Dimitri who smiled in return, "About ten weeks now."

"My goodness! You must be excited." She looked excited for us.

I nodded, "Just thirty more weeks, right?"

Dimitri took my hands in his and gently kissed the my forehead. "Time flies."

"Soon enough you're going to have a little monster running around." Adrian said quietly and quickly before sipping his tea.

Sydney forced a laugh, "A little monster?"

He smirked, "You know, Syd. A little vampire, Dhampir or whatever you want to call it." He raised his cup to her before taking another sip.

"That's not funny." She turned away from him. "And don't call me Syd."

He shrugged, "Whatever you say, Syd."

She scowled at him, "Jerk."

I looked between them two, "Am I missing something? You guys have been at it like cats and dogs."

"I just don't like him!" - "I just don't like her!" Their voices in perfect unison.

I rolled my eyes, "Okay. Way to kill a happy moment." I looked down at my plate. It kind of looked like enchiladas but with pasta. "Wow. That looks good."

Oksana smiled, "Thank you. Please, enjoy." She swept her hand over to everyone. And on cue everyone reached for their plates. Dimitri and I filled the air with our stories up until the pregnancy. We had everybody in aw by the end of the life long tale. For the most part I was just glad that nobody interupted and that I had a full stomach.

"That's an incredible tale." Mark rested his chin on his knuckles.

"Beautiful." Oksana wiped at her eyes. "A real love story."

I felt myself blush. "Thank you."

Dimitri gripped my fingers under the table and squeezed gently. "It's been amazing."

"It's been a handful." Adrian began to run his fingers over the edge of the cup. "I've been their little helper the entire time."

Oksana patted his shoulder, "And I am sure that they are grateful."

"We are." Dimitri nodded.

Sydney rose a brow, "You've been helping? How?"

Adrian gave a smug smile, "Training Rose with her magic and then delivering the news of their bundle of joy. Yup. That was all me." He sank into his seat.

"Really?" Sydney looked to me for confirmation.

I nodded, "Really."

She almost look surprised, "Wow." She started playing with the food on her plate. There was plenty to play with. She never did eat much.

"Is it really that shocking? I'd like to think I'm a pretty nice guy." He smiled to himself and crossed his feet together.

She forced a laugh, "Nice? To who?"

He grimaced, "To those who deserve it."

I purposely yawned out loud, "Oh! I didn't realize how tired I am."

"Probably because mommy and baby are so content." Oksana warmed the room with her smile.

I ran my hands over my stomach. "I wonder what it'll be like. To be mom." My mind start playing through good scenerios where I am the perfect mom with the perfect child and a perfect husband. But within seconds it came slowly crashing down. "What if I'm not good at it? What if I screw up?"

Dimitri leaned beside me and smiled sweetly, "We'll do fine."

"Plus the little squirt will always have Uncle Adrian." He said it so matter-of-fact that I wasn't sure if he was serious or just joking.

"Oh God, please don't leave the baby alone with him." Sydney looked seriously concerned.

He scoffed, "Don't feed them crap about me being a danger to him."

"Not a danger," she laughed. "A bad influence maybe."

Mark started laughing loudly. It filled the small room. "I'm going to get the blankets and things ready. Will you all be staying here tonight?"

I nodded slowly, "If that's alright with you. We can find a hotel tomorrow when it's early."

"That's fine." He stood and Oksana stopped him.

"Let me. You are in no condition..."

"Nonsense!" He tried to play it off but I'm sure even Sydney could tell he didn't have the strength.

Adrian stood up quickly, "Please allow me to help."

"I can give you all a hand, too." Dimitri followed.

The room got eerily quiet with all the men and Oksana gone. The delicious smell still lingered in the air. I inhaled deeply and rested into the cushions of the couch. It wasn't the softest but the firm quality to it strangely made me feel comfortable. I let my head drop back until the back of the couch cradled it. The ceiling was all white. Not a bright white but almost like it was an ivory white. Maybe it was the light giving off the glow.

"Rose?" Sydney's voice caught in the air. Like it was the only sound around.

I looked up at her. Her hands folded neatly on her lap and a look of nervousness on her face. "Yea?"

She shifted slightly as if to ease the anxiety she felt, "I know I have to stay here and it's for my own safety but..." She paused for incredibly long time.

"But?"

She bowed her head down so that it almost looked like she might hide behind her arms. "Could I join you all tomorrow when you go looking for a place to stay? I could help."

"I don't know. I'll have to run it by the others." I tried to tilt my head to get a better look at her expression. Any hint as to how she was feeling.

"Ok." Her tone was almost sad or disappointed.

I nudged her arm slightly, "Don't soften up on me now, Sage."

She tried to brighten up but I could still feel the gloominess in the air. "You know I don't cave that easily, Hathaway... or isn't it Belikov now?" She grinned.

"Mrs. Belikov." I shot back.

Within the last few syllables of my last response the front door burst open. A tall man hidden in shadow stood in the door way. His jacket shifted back with the light breeze and I could see his silhoette. He was thin but had a similar build to Dimitri. The white of his eyes almost glowed. It was then that I noticed the red glow of the rings surrounding his eyes. The undeniable mark of a Strigoi.

By Shadow Kissed Mori