Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Kisses or any characters. It all belongs to the wonderful Ellen Schreiber.

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"So what were you and Alexander up to that caused you to lose track in time?" my mother grilled me as we pulled away from the mansion and started down Benson Hill. Blushing, I glanced down. I turned my gaze to my pale thighs.

"Oh, you know…" I trailed off. What was a practical excuse?

She stopped the car, grabbing my head to direct my attention to her. "Talk to me, Raven."

"What?" I snapped. Was she accusing me of doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing? How dare she! "We were just hanging out, the usual…" My innocence was ruined by my shaky voice.

Damn illumination, she just had to pull the car over under a street light, making the whole car light up. I could see her baby blue button down and she could see my…

White and black top.

Perfectly see though…white and black top.

Perfectly see though white and black top that I had no bra underneath, right in front of her face see though white and black top.

Ah, hell.

"Raven, where the hell is your bra?" she demanded, staring right at my chest. Flushing red, I crossed my arms over my chest to hide the sudden sight from her. I could practically see smoke coming from her ears, if this were a cartoon, actually.

She sighed heavily, shifting the car back into drive, pulling out of the illumination and onto the road, turning back up Benson Hill.

Oh no.

"Mom, what are we doing?"

"Going to get your bra back." she answered flatly.

I groaned in annoyance at her. "Please, Mom." I begged.

"Please what?" she growled. I was shocked by her sudden bitterness, she was only ever no more that sarcastically snarky. "Let your boyfriend keep your bra?"

"Mom, I'm sorry!" I was also surprised by my voice cracking as it reached a higher octave. "Don't embarrass me like this."

"Like you haven't already embarrassed me?"

That shut me up for a second or two, but I continued to protest. "But I--"

"Not another word, Raven." The ice in her voice closed my mouth for good until we reached the mansion. Alexander's attic room light was dimly lighting up the large room. I imagined him painting a picture of me and him having…

"Stay here." My mother's voice blasted me right out of my thought.

"Fine." I grumbled. Like I did to Alexander plenty of times before. I would agree to wait in the car like a good girl, behaving for her boyfriend, but five seconds later I would trail him like a lost puppy.

She stepped out of the car, slamming the door to her Volvo on me. The light in the car dimmed, leaving darkness except for Alexander's attic room lamp and the flashing green letters of the clock. She climbed the stairs to the Victorian style mansion and rapped the serpent knocker.

That was my cue to bolt. I stepped from the car when her back was turned. Thank goodness Jameson took a century to get to the door all the time. As I shut the door I raced to the driveway, sneaking up to the side bushes. Untrimmed and unkempt, of course. Every footstep I took sounded like a gunshot, or an elephant squealing.

Jameson got to the door. I held my breath and listened in on the conversation.

"Hello, I'm Sarah Madison, Raven's mother." she began, Jameson nodding. "I believe my daughter has left something valuable with Alexander. I would appreciate it if you would step aside and allow me to retrieve it, please."

Jameson welcomed her inside. I snuck around and stuck my boot between the door and the wall, blocking him from closing it. Just as she made her way up the stairs, I grabbed Jameson's arm, whispering. "This'll only be a sec."

As soon as she got upstairs, I immediately knew she had no idea where she was going, leaving me enough time to make it to Alexander before her. I could have Alexander come up with an escape plan for me and my bra, a believable story, and deal with the heat from my Mom later. Right now, I just had to stop her from embarrassing me this way.

I ran up the stairs, creaking floorboards slamming. As I got to the top I watched my mother turn left, when the correct direction was right. I went there, peeking around the corner to make sure she was well out of sight before shooting here and there and finally up the stairs to Alexander's attic room.

I found the room slightly ajar. I could hear the music of The Smith's coming from the other side of the door. I stepped inside, past Alexander, who was, just as I imagined, painting a picture of me. Only I was in the cemetery. Figures.

I shut off his radio and he spun around. He wore black silk boxers and a Jack Skellington shirt. "Raven, what are you doing?"

I noticed my black lace bra, sitting on the paint stained hardwood floor next to his mattress bed. I grabbed it as quickly as I can, but I was too late. My Mom opened the door, stepping inside, seeing Alexander standing with me…holding my bra.

Perfect timing, Mom.

"Raven, I told you to wait in the car." she said firmly.

Alexander looked at me with a "what did you do this time" look. "What is this all about, Raven?"

I sighed. "I left my bra here, and my Mom noticed it was missing, and she came back for it, only I beat her to the chase." I didn't want to mention that 'the chase' was my personal rescue from eternal humiliation.

Alexander looked to my mother. "I apologize for causing you any concern, but everything's fine. Raven did leave her…bra here, and I planned on returning it later."

"Alright, then." my mother whispered. Then more emphatically. "Raven, in the hall."

"Mom…"

"Hall!" she boomed and I decided to choose embarrassment over a very pissed off mother for the next month or so. Especially the fact that Halloween and my seventeenth birthday were coming up next month…

"Alexander, did you sleep with my daughter?" I heard her demand. Oh no…

"Yes." I heard him reply, matter-of-factly. Obviously, even Alexander couldn't come up with a mature and logical explanation for why he was keeping my bra. I'll just deal with it all later. I thought to myself. But 'later' always came soon, and it happens eventually, so I was definitely going to have some serious hell to pay in the days to come.

"And did you use protection?"

I heard Alexander sigh on the other end. "No, I believe we did not."

"Alright, then." she repeated. It wasn't really Alexander's fault, as much as it was mine. "Thank you for your time, sweetie."

"My pleasure." he replied. I could hear the strain in his voice as he tried to be firm, also. I wasn't even sure this was typical behavior for Alexander, even for me. It was all just so awkward.

She stepped from the room, towing my elbow down the stairs and out the front door. She must have traced her steps, I figured. She shushed me as I babbled meaningless apologies to Jameson.

"Mom, I am so sorry." I mumbled. I really didn't know what to do at the moment.

"I don't know what to say, Raven." She had calmed down a bit, and was speaking to me softly now, but still sounded just as disappointed.

"What do you want me to say, Mom?"

"Sorry isn't going to cut it if you're pregnant."

The rest of the ride was silent after that. My mother sent me to bed with a gruffed "you're grounded" while she sat in the kitchen with my father discussing my punishment.

I hadn't even thought about being pregnant.

But I was engaged, so it should be fine…right?

Right?

I didn't think so. I was sixteen, going on seventeen. Yeah, I went to school, but I wasn't what you would call…smart when it comes to dissecting square roots and writing essays and doing my homework more than every once in a while. I needed to live my college years, find more friends, get a better education…

Was I really ready for the next step?

Throwing my life away for an eternal romance?

I would miss Becky. Nightmare. My parents, maybe even that ass hole people call Trevor, even Billy Boy.

I needed a shower. My makeup was all smudged from crying. My clothes were wrinkled. I just realized I was still clutching my bra in my hand, which was the kicker in this case.

I slid off my boots and clomped to the bathroom, peeling off my morbid threads and rinsing off the black makeup, combing through my ratty already greasy hair. I stepped in the shower, letting the warm water attempt to wash away all my worries. Of course, that only happens in dreams…but at least it relieved some stress.

Pulling on shorts and a shirt, I stepped back into my bedroom. My cold damp hair hung off my shoulders in wet, messy curls. I kept my eyes on the floor. I wanted to curl up in bed and cry myself to sleep, despite the fact that it was two in the morning. But it seems I have used up all my tears tonight, and not even a drop threatened to spill.

"Hey."

I looked up to see Alexander sitting on my bed. He had pulled on a hoodie and a pair of jeans.

All I could do was climb in bed and curl up against him. He was one of the things that could do a good job at making my worries go away.

He rubbed my back, up and down. It was calming and soothing, as I lingered with my head against his chest, catching my breath, searching for words…

"I could be pregnant."

Alexander pulled my head back, cupping my face in my hands to look into my eyes. He looked on the verge of tears.

"I am so sorry Raven." He kissed my forehead. "Whatever happens, I am here for you. There is no need to worry."

"Yes there is." I whispered. "There's a fifty-fifty chance, Alexander. I'm throwing my life away, at seventeen, getting married, having a baby, leaving my family, giving up my education…"

I trailed off, not knowing what to do. "I promise everything will be alright. We don't have to get married just yet. We can wait, I was just so…"

"Caught in the moment." I finished with a laugh, perking up a tad. "Happens. But I want to be with you forever, and if I am pregnant with your child, I want to marry you as soon as possible."

"Okay."

That was all we said for the next few minutes, which was actually a few minutes but felt like hours. Alexander was the one to finally break the silence.

"You should get some sleep."

"Kay…." I mumbled, eyes already drooping. He turned to my window to leave, but I grabbed his arm. "Stay, please."

"I'll stay with you."

And with that, I fell asleep with my fiancé, my vampire mate, my Alexander.