DPOV
Rose spent the following fortnight sneaking in my room. James grew considerably, and I had long since learned to make sure Roza had her pregnancy pillow with her. Even with her taut abs, James had still made her bump beautifully... and her sleep uncomfortable.
Our son. We were having a son, and I still couldn't wrap my head around it, around me fathering the love of my life's son. Rose Hathaway was having my Belikov baby boy, and he had to be the most perfect and most dangerous child to ever exist. He was going to be incredible and if society didn't love him, well, that was their loss and bad judgement. Feel free to call me biased, but he's my baby, of course I'm going to be just a tiny bit biased and see him as perfect and loveable.
"Ahhh!" Roza squealed in delight as she waddled into morning training the fortnight before trials.
"What's up?" I asked as I wrapped my hands around my family. "Morning, Mommy," I whispered in her ear before greeting our son. "Morning, James," I murmured against Roza's belly; having first raised her shirt and cupped the bump in my hands. Roza's hands covered mine and I smiled before kissing all over where James was growing. "Or is it night to you, son? Did you keep Mommy up again?" I questioned in Russian. Roza giggled adorably and it made my heart race.
"He slept half the night, and I'm sure you can guess which half. So morning and night, Daddy." Roza ran a hand through my hair.
I would never tire of her touch, but I really did wish she wouldn't tease me. I wasn't getting to touch her properly for another four months. It was torture. But for James' sake, I would control myself.
"Lissa's just got her first bout of morning sickness," Rose finally revealed excitedly and happily.
"Really?" I asked as we sat on the chairs in the store room. Our favourite chairs.
She nodded with a wide smile.
"Do- do you want to go to her?"
She shook her head. "I mean, I want to support her, but if I'm actually around that, I'm only going end up joining her bent over a toilet. It's bad enough feeling it through the bond. I just got used to not having it anymore."
"How do you feel? Emotionally?"
She shook her head, chuckled, and burrowed into my side. "I'm so happy for her. I get how miserable the morning sickness thing is, how scary the first three months are. I feel for her, I'm in the blissful stage and she's at the nervous and confused, whacky square one. But I'm so excited for her. You have no idea how much she wants her own family on her own terms. Sure, she wants to rebuild the Dragomir line, but this baby won't feel like it's Council's more than hers and Christian's." Her eyes sparkled. "I think he's finally proved to me he's a man."
"Rose!" I chastised playfully. "That's not cool."
"And that sounded dirty," Rose flirted.
I laughed and shook my head before pecking her lips. She deepened the kiss... and ended it far too soon.
"Your accent makes a lot of American slang sound dirty."
"Only to you." I really didn't get what it was with her and my accent... or anything Russian that came out of my mouth.
She slapped me playfully. "Watch it, Cowboy," she warned seriously, "or you'll be waiting another month for me to replace your cold showers."
I gulped. I loved her for her character, but I didn't know if I would survive an extra month of controlling myself around her. Her body really did make every man weak at their knees, but I was the only one allowed to fit in her like a puzzle piece, I was the only one allowed to try. I also doubted her own control, which I reluctantly had to admit was improving, would hold out that long. In punishing me, she was denying herself.
Then the day came. Rose's trials- which were going to be in slow motion, for James' sake. Even marking through was dangerous enough at just under seven months.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty arrives," I teased when she entered the holding area a full minute before Ashford was about to be called out.
"If you value your baby-makers," Rose warned under her breath as she sat next to me on the chairs we'd- I'd- made sure were provided, "you'll watch it."
I chuckled. "Roza, don't take James' late night out on me. Otherwise he'll be an only child."
"You wouldn't!" Rose gasped, her expression one of terror.
"You initiated the threat," I retorted. "You take that extreme and it backfires on James," I shrugged. "I know you don't want him as an only child."
"Why are you always right," she grumbled and started stretching her arms.
"James didn't really let you sleep last night, did he?"
She shook her head. "Not really."
"Is he sleeping now?"
Eddie'sPOV
"Is he sleeping now?" I heard Belikov ask Rose. They'd been so close since Spokane, but so much more today. I'd never seen Belikov so relaxed and happy. It was odd.
Rose shook her head. "No. He's not. I've tried everything, Comrade, and he's just not listening to me."
A sly smile came over his lips. "Do you want me to try?"
Rose glared warningly, but soon gave up when the smile stayed on his face. "Please?" she begged, pout, puppy eyes and all.
Belikov chuckled and moved to kneel beside her. His hands cupped her huge baby bump and a tender look replaced the sly smile. Then the unfathomable happened.
He started singing. The badass god known as Guardian Dimitri Belikov starting singing a lullaby in Russian. The whole holding barracks fell silent and everyone turned to the spectacle that was Guardian Belikov singing to his student's unborn baby, his voice was soft yet so powerful as it filled and dominated the room.
"Join me?" Belikov whispered, still in the tune of the lullaby, and his eyes bored into Rose's. With glassy eyes and a happy smile, she nodded. Her mouth opened with his and the most beautiful harmony resounded around the room. I'd caught her humming lately, but I had no clue Belikov had taught her Russian lullabies.
One tune ended, and as if reading each other's mind, another began. Their fights were legendary- they were- but this was a duel no one was ready for. They were singing a duet for her son, but they silenced and stilled the room. They weren't just a god and goddess, they were angels.
Their eyes locked before Belikov started drawing patterns all over her bump. He nodded nearly imperceptibly and another lullaby started. Their unified harmony changed to rounds, but it was just as beautiful. If not more so.
"Ya tebya lyublyu, malyutka," Belikov repeated.
"Ya tebya lyublyu, moy dragotsennyy syn," Rose echoed.
"My lyubim tebya, nash rebenok," they harmonised.
Their eyes locked again and Rose nodded.
"I love you, little one," Belikov sang in English.
"I love you, my precious son," Rose's voice responded confidently. "I love you, little one."
"I love you, my precious son," Belikov's voice rang clear with emotion.
"We love you, our baby," they harmonised again. Belikov kissed Rose's baby bump before kissing her cheek and moving to sit next to her again. "Better, Mommy?" he murmured. His mask was completely down, and his face radiated pride, happiness, awe... and love, so, so, so much love.
Rose nodded. "He's asleep. Thank you, Daddy," she replied with nothing but pure, unadulterated love and relief flooding her features. Rose leaned into the crook of his neck. His arms snaked around her baby bump protectively.
"Anything for you, Roza, anything for you and James. I love you."
"We love you, too."
The Senior novices were frozen in shock and surprise. The guardians around us, however, they were wearing looks of relief and amusement. They'd known. Every single guardian present knew, and that was twenty-seven of them, all twenty-seven knew Rose was in a relationship with Belikov! And now all forty Senior novices knew too.
I hadn't noticed when Mason returned, but his face said it all. He despised and envied Belikov. He was jealous and pissed. it was plain as day. Rose had chosen a guardian over him, her mentor no less. Yeah, not the best thing to return to after completing the most significant test of your life.
Mason'sPOV
I returned to the holding barracks to see Rose and Belikov's eyes locking before Belikov started drawing patterns all over Rose's bump while they were singing a Russian lullaby. He nodded nearly imperceptibly and another lullaby started. The harmony changed to rounds, and it was unbearably beautiful. My heart broke at the peaceful look on Rose's face.
"Ya tebya lyublyu, malyutka," Belikov repeated.
"Ya tebya lyublyu, moy dragotsennyy syn," Rose echoed.
"My lyubim tebya, nash rebenok," they harmonised.
Their eyes locked again and Rose nodded. A cheeky smile flashed in her eyes.
"I love you, little one," Belikov sang in English. Shock coursed through me. But that was just the beginning.
"I love you, my precious son," Rose's voice responded confidently. "I love you, little one."
"I love you, my precious son," Belikov's voice rang clear with genuine love. I couldn't believe it.
"We love you, our baby," they harmonised again. Belikov kissed Rose's baby bump before kissing her cheek and moving to sit next to her again. "Better, Mommy?" he murmured. His mask was completely down, and his face radiated pride, happiness, awe... and love, so, so, so much pure and undeniable love.
Rose nodded. "He's asleep. Thank you, Daddy," she replied with nothing but pure, unadulterated love and relief flooding her features. Rose leaned into the crook of his neck. His arms snaked around her baby bump protectively.
"Anything for you, Roza, anything for you and James. I love you."
"We love you, too."
Anger, jealousy, envy, rejection and a million other emotions pumped through my veins at once, locking up my exhausted muscles. I hated Belikov right now. Rose had given her heart to her mentor, her older mentor, it was plain as day on her face. I had held up hope that I could be her child's father-figure, but Belikov had snatched that role from me on top of taking away the girl who owns my heart. My whole world came crashing down around me and ruined the day that was supposed to be the happiest before I put my life on the line for someone else.
Rose was eventually called. I watched in agony as Belikov and Rose's lips locked quickly before she stepped on the field. To my anger and utter surprise he smacked her butt playfully, encouraging her out into the field. He cheered and smiled in excitement, gnawed on his bottom lip and held his breath in anticipation, and laughed in delight as she worked her way through the course. Only she got given her 'Moroi' challenge on the bridge. She was trapped on both ends and I couldn't see a way out. But of course she could, and she did it.
"That's my Roza!" Belikov laughed in relief when Rose cut the bridge and still kept her 'Moroi' and her- no, their- son safe while 'ending' the 'Strigoi'. "You show them, Roza!" he cheered. "Go Rose! Go James!" The name of their son stung like salt rubbed into a cut. Yet, as soon as she approached the maze, he stalked after her.
RPOV
One second Dimitri's cheering me on, the next he's my tail. I can smell him getting closer. Come on then, James, let's show your father who's boss in this family. I entered the maze without altering my pace, and without pause I turned left. Two lefts and a right later I was stuck. Think, Rose, think. Dimitri's had you studying patterns in the creation of these mazes in puzzle books and the hedge versions. It could snake back onto the field if you're not careful. Think! Roza, think! And with my Russian name in Dimitri's addictive voice I knew the pattern I'd learned by heart as the most common for the most challenging puzzle mazes and hedge maze traps. It was one the human mind spotted easily when working backwards and from above but struggled when in and working 'Entry to Exit'. Provided the puzzle and this hedge had only one exit.
Reverse L-S-C-S-S-reverse C-S-J.
I retraced my steps; Dimitri's scent strengthened. Right instead of the second of three lefts. Left, left, right, right. He was gaining once more, but I could out-pace him since he was going to think I was going at mark-through pace. Twist back on its next left, right, right, right. This was no mark-through for me. James and I were going to show Daddy how a pregnant guardian would escape this maze if her newly turned badass lover was after her. Left, left, right, right. My logic would get me out of this, if nothing else. This was my final test and I was going to make sure it was remembered for all the right reasons. Again: left, left, right, right. "Give up, Roza," Dimitri called after me. "You aren't going to escape. Not with me on your heels." Oh hell no! He was bluffing, I knew, his voice was fading away. Twist back right, left, left, left. "Rose, you can't escape, there's no shortcuts." Oh? Don't be so sure. Once more: left, left, right, right. "Your Rose-logic won't get you out of this. Think of James!" You did not just bring our son into this! I sped up. Two more lefts. And... out!
"Come get us, Daddy!" I screamed back in a gleeful challenge as I bolted into Alberta's waiting arms. She wrapped a huge towel around me and forced an open bottle of water into my hand. I downed it in seconds.
"That was fantastic, Rose," she grinned. "I think James might just be good luck."
I rolled my eyes as Emil and Yuri cradled me. "You know my son is good luck, a miracle," I returned and was carried out the exit of the arena, back to the barracks.
"You-" Dimitri shook his head and thrust another water bottle in my hand when he met me back in the holding barracks. "I honestly didn't think you'd out-pace and out-logic us guardians."
"I learned from the god," I returned. "And you made a mistake when you threatened James."
"Mama-bear instincts went into overdrive," he smirked.
"You asshole," I snapped half-heartedly. "You knew?"
"I hoped," he retorted. "I didn't however know you were already so close to the exit point."