RPOV
I heard the direct order in his voice and couldn't help but obey. I was still his student, regretfully, but even if I wasn't I'd still follow his instructions. But if I wasn't at least then he'd also have to follow mine. I turned and approached him numbly. Then I saw the true panic in his eyes for myself.
"Are you okay?" he asked, panic and worry radiated around him like a beacon.
"I- I think so." He didn't like that answer. Or how shakily it came out.
"Belikov, get her to the ER. Now!" demanded Alberta. Dimitri nodded and put an arm around my shoulder to guide me to an SUV.

"The baby?" Dimitri asked frantically once we were speeding to the nearest hospital. "How's our baby?" he begged slash demanded.
"Okay, I think. I'm pretty sure he or she faired better than my head." I wasn't even beginning to attempt to be sarcastic, certain Dimitri would snap if I did. Plus, I was worried about our miracle myself.
Dimitri took an anxious glance at my head. "Possibly. I wouldn't know because I wasn't there." I detected fear underpinning his three bitter words, fear and maybe also guilt. I wasn't too sure, maybe it was disappointment that I'd gone after Mason without considering the consequences for our unborn baby.

Unsure and unable to find the energy to figure it out, I sighed and leaned back into the seat. Only the back of my head felt wet. So I put my hand to it. It came back all bloody. Dimitri sped up as I ripped my jacket and shirt off, leaving me in a red, lace-trimmed bra and jeans as I pressed the gathered shirt and raised it to my bleeding head. I didn't care that Dimitri could see- he'd seen me naked, evidently- since I was pregnant with his baby. I didn't care that this was the same bra he'd taken off me little over a fortnight ago. I was starting to feel the effects of the escape, the blood loss, and the starvation attempt as I struggled to keep my eyes open, fighting off the dizziness and quickly failing. Soon enough though, Dimitri was cradling me to his chest as he ran into the ER screaming for help.

DPOV
"You've got to prioritise her," I begged the nurse. "She's two weeks pregnant and has been in a terrible accident." Sort of. The vague excuse was the best I could do, and the safest. At the mention of the very early stages pregnancy and registering of Rose's bleeding head, she nodded and got things moving quickly. But it wasn't quick enough for my liking. Rose was unconscious and I was frightened for her and our baby. Before I knew it, they were rushing her into an ultrasound and surgery... again.

Two hours later, the doctor found me and introductions were quickly exchanged. "Sir, I have some good news," he said with genuine warmth.
"Is the baby okay? Please tell me my baby is okay!"
The doctor smiled. "Yes, your baby is okay. You're extremely lucky for it to be as fine as it is. I don't know what it went through, but Miss Hathaway protected it well and it is one very blessed embryo. It should have been a miscarriage, so we'll be closely monitoring mother and child for the next fortnight."

Ouch! That embryo part stung, but I tried to hide it behind a nod and subject change. "And Rose? What about my Roza?"
"Some major cuts and bruises, a broken rib, fractured wrist as well as the third degree burns around both wrists."
"Will she be okay?"
"It will take time, but yes, she will recover fully."
"She was in a car crash a month ago, is there any reopening of wounds or bruises on bruises?"
"Luckily, no. She's unconscious, but you can see her, if you wish. I'm can tell you're definitely her boyfriend."
It wasn't entirely true, just mostly, but it was the only way they would continue to give me updates and let me visit. Rose would pack shit and freak out if no one was there when she woke up, worse still, her mother.

"Yes Petrov?" I answered my phone while still embracing Roza's hand as I had done for an hour now.
"How is she? And I should warn you, Janine's on her way."
"She's fine. She's one very lucky and very blessed... girl." I hated how I had hesitated to use the word. She was one brave young woman, an amazing young guardian.
"And the baby?"
"More blessed than Rose."
"The outlook? The chances of her coming home anytime soon?"
"Because of the baby and her injuries she's in for a fortnight at least."
"Okay. Then I expect you by her side, to bring her home when she's fit enough."

Janine walked in ten minutes later. I stood to leave, I needed to stretch my legs anyway. But she gestured me down and pulled the other chair to Rose's other side.
"Both of them," Janine whispered as she took Rose's left hand in both of hers. "She took down both Strigoi. And knocked out their three human assistants." Janine looked to me with wild eyes. "She's seventeen, Belikov! She's seventeen and dealt out death. She's seventeen and she's got more marks than some will ever see."
"She's strong, Hathaway," I reassured. "She's so incredibly strong for someone so young. It may take time and effort, but she will cope, she will recover."
Janine studied me for a few minutes before speaking again. "Will you be there? Will you be there to help her?"
"Yes," I surprised myself with the fierceness of my voice. I would be by her side for the rest of our lives.
Janine looked me dead in the eye, "You had better be, or I'll hunt you down... No, make that I'll hunt you down with her father. Now he'd tear you limb from limb and enjoy it."

I tried not to gulp before nodding. I didn't know Rose's father since she didn't, but I didn't want to meet an unusually fiercely protective absent Moroi father only to have him kill me seconds later.

We said no more for the next hour. Then she decided to go eat. She brought me back a coffee and a collection of snacks, which included a ham and cheese sandwich. She had also bought me and Rose a new set of clothes. She could be mothering apparently, if she tried.
"Thanks, Hathaway."
"I didn't see any sign of you moving and you've barely eaten in the last 24 hours. I've got to return to my charge. Tell her I wish her a speedy recovery... and welcome to the ranks."
I nodded. "I will."

"'Mitri," Roza moaned as she stirred. Thank god her mother had left hours ago if that's the first thing she's thinking and saying. If I'm what she was dreaming about. I had absolutely no problems with that, quite the opposite... her mother however... would find a million and one things wrong with it.
"Hey, Roza," I smiled and moved to the edge of the bed to lightly brush my fingers over her cheek. My heart swelled with hope and love as her eyes groggily opened.
Her lips twitched into a small smile, "Hey, Comrade," she croaked. I had never loved that nickname more than I did now.
"How does my sleeping beauty feel?"
"Your sleeping beauty, huh?" She waggled her eyebrows at me suggestively. I groaned as I picked up the double meaning. She laughed. It was too dry and scratchy so I sat her up a little and handed her a cup of water. "Thanks. You really need to start watching your words when I'm in the clinic."
"Roza... honey..."
I saw realisation wash through her, then fear as her hand fell to her tummy.
"Our baby's fine," I smiled as my hands joined hers and placed a kiss over her hospital gown. "He or she is perfectly fine." I met her eyes lovingly. "You protected him or her well, Roza. But... the doctor wants you to stay here for observation for a fortnight. And no, you didn't re-injure injuries from the crash."
"Cut that out, Dimitri. Stop blaming yourself for something you had no control over. I love you, and I don't blame you. We love you, Daddy." She pulled me down for a kiss. God I loved her.
"I love you two, too," I murmured against her lips. It was scary how well she knew me.

Alberta'sPOV
I had Yuri pack Belikov's stuff so we could return to the Academy while he stayed with his family in the hospital. As I approached after Yuri's call requesting me to see a discovery in their shared room he looked at me with a stunned and traumatised expression.

"What is it, Yuri?" I asked after shutting the door. Strigoi? No worries. Whatever this was? Shocked to the spot, unmoving. Then I noticed the piece of plastic in his hands.
"Apparently Belikov's an expectant father," he choked out and handed the positive test to me. I flipped it and recognised the handwriting. The smile escaped me.
"I thought as much," I chuckled. "Put it in his bag, Yuri."
"You recognise the writing?"
"Don't you recognise the timing?" I retorted in amusement.
"No," he gasped as his eyes bugged and his jaw dropped. "No way."
"Who else?" I raised a brow pointedly.
"Then..." He packed the test away and zipped up the bag.
"We know nothing. Got that? She can't do this alone. And we all know how he wants a family."
"With her especially. Okay. Unless they tell after it's born, we know nothing." With that, we left the room, never looking back. Well, figuratively speaking regarding the conversation.

We returned to the Academy and I worked on adjusting Rose's program. It was difficult because she'd be in field experience the second she returned. Sure, she'd just barely protected the baby from real Strigoi, but I couldn't have the guardians go easy on her either. She was going to be pissed off enough about her charge as it was, but I couldn't exactly assign her to Lissa either. And I somehow doubted she would tell a soul for a while to come, so that also wasn't helping.
Stuck, I decided to work on adjusting her normal timetable. Again, without doctor's recommendations I found it a task loaded with problems. I hadn't received Belikov's notice of accepting Tasha's offer, and with Rose pregnant I knew he wouldn't. Well, at least theirs was a training slot I could adjust. She wouldn't like it, but it would pay off for her. Pregnancy yoga and mark-throughs of fights, staking, and incapacitating.

Rose returned in time for field experience to start. Literally walked in the gym with Belikov seconds before Alto started speaking. My eyes kept flicking to where Rose sat between Ashford and Castile, hand laid protectively over her stomach and I was sure she wasn't even registering what she was doing. My eyes shot over to Belikov's the same time hers did, he knew what she wasn't registering and narrowed his eyes at her stomach after a slight lip twitch, her own lips twitched before her hand fell to her lap. That level of communication made them a deadly and dangerous pair of guardians, it also made their personal relationship really rather extremely obvious. But in this crowd I was somehow the only one to register it. How nearly no one noticed them I'll never know. Though they did put on a good face, it wasn't good enough to fool absolutely everyone.

Christian'sPOV
Something was warring in Rose's mind, I could tell. We were what I'd call frienemies, so I cared about her even though we always fought... I think it's all due to Lissa and our identical characters. Sometimes I wonder if Lissa loves me not just because I'm me, but because she thinks of me as the male Moroi version of Rose. Beside the point. By Culinary Science I could too easily see something big was on her mind, no matter how much she appeared to be solely focused on her duty. There was this reflective gleam in her eyes, like she was putting an image on top of this one, creating an alternate reality... be it a past or future overlay I couldn't tell.

Then came her first test after dinner. She was amazing to watch... and dare I say almost beautiful. But it wasn't normal. I still remember the Guardians killing my turned parents, Rose was a part of that army of death now, but she wasn't fighting the way all dhampirs were trained. This battle between her and Guardian A-hole looked far more improvised than it should. Whilst Rose did go on the offensive, she seemed more defensive and protective... and not of me, but of her own body.

"Nice work, Hathaway," Guardian Ass grudgingly applauded. Only to backhand her seconds later. "But next time; a) pay more attention to your head, and b) focus on protecting your Moroi, not you."
Tears glistened in Rose's eye as she took three steps back in shock and anger, her breath quickened as she wrapped her arms around her torso. And that's when I suddenly understood.
"Lay off, Guardian Alto," I growled and went to wrap my arms around her shoulders. But Belikov appeared from nowhere, echoing me and beating me at pulling Rose into the shelter of his chest and arms.
"Petrov has me supervising Rose's every step when I'm not in training. I'd watch my words if I were you," he threatened. I was scared of his icy tone as Rose wrapped her arms around her mentor and cried into his chest.
"Calm down, Comrade," Rose sniffled into his chest. "I can handle him."
"Rose, you heard the doctor before we left; no stress and no sleep deprivation. You've barely been given the okay to lightly run and train." Belikov shot a death glare at the most hated guardian on campus between worried- *cough* actually close to petrified, terrified *cough*- and indulgent looks at Rose. So this was why he wouldn't take Aunt Tasha's offer.
"I'm not stressed and I'm not sleep deprived," Rose argued before pulling out of the embrace.
Belikov looked at me. "Christian, do you mind taking care of Rose overnight?"
"Dimitri!" Rose chastised pointlessly.
"Come on Rose, let's get you to bed." And I did mean that: a pregnant Rose was not sleeping on the floor.
Belikov shot me a grateful look, Rose a concerned but warning one, and Alto a very, very, very dangerous one. One that screamed fear for your life because you just upset my girlfriend, and in turn pissed me off.