A/N: A lovely chapter, filled with marital harmony and the shared joy of impending parenthood. It would be nice, but this is Voldemort we are talking about. I'm pushing his buttons again in this chapter. There is also the introduction of a new character, who is going to become part of the story. SA

I'm naked and shamed, moth to the flame,

Just take my hand so we can both drown...

I'll never believe in you again,

I'll never forgive those things you said,

My only relief is gone and dead

I'll never forsake myself again.

"Forsaken" – Seether

Thursday 31st August 2000

Wake up, Mummy, you must come back now. I need you. The voice called to her and its pleading tone pierced the fog that surrounded her. Her eyes flew open and her body responded by jolting upwards, her lungs inhaling jagged breaths of air. The shock caused her heart to thump rapidly and the very last thing she could recall flooded into her mind, and she wrenched back the covers in panic, staring down at her body. There was no blood anywhere, her nightgown was clean and spotless. She let out a shudder of relief and her head fell back down against the pillow. She was going mad, she must be; she didn't know what was real anymore. Was this just another dream or was she now back in reality? Her head began to fill with more images of what she had just awoken from. They were torturous and she wanted to burn them from her brain. A sudden fluttering sensation in her abdomen jolted her from the nightmares inside her head.

She heard the small, comforting voice from within and she remembered that she was was pregnant. Morgan had said he was growing within her. The joy she felt at this was quickly tempered by unease at the reality of it all. This was Voldemort's child. No, said to herself, this is my child too...part of me. It was their child! Oh God. Rose wanted to cry; with a mixture of sadness and happiness. She recalled her youthful musings about motherhood and marriage; never could she have envisioned this reality for herself.

'You're awake then.' A sharp female voice spoke from the corner of the room. Rose turned and looked in the direction the voice came from. A stout figure emerged from the shadows. Cold eyes and a sour, disdainful expression were fixed upon her. Alecto Carrow. She wasn't dreaming anymore, there was no way she would dream about Alecto. 'I shall summon the Dark Lord now that you have awoken.' No rest for the wicked. Rose repeated the old saying inwardly, darkly thinking that in a past life she must have been very bad indeed to for her life to have ended up in this present situation.

Having only come back around moments ago, she'd barely any time to compose herself and gather her thoughts. Her head ached and she felt emotional and exhausted. 'Wait, please! Could you give me a little time to collect myself before you send for him? I'm so tired and confused.' Rose appealed to the woman who stood at the foot of the bed. Alecto pursed her lips. 'No. I have my orders to follow,' she said harshly. 'The Dark Lord has instructed me to call him the moment that you wake.' Rose suppressed her frustration with the woman...there was no sympathy or understanding to be had from Alecto.

'Could I not see a healer first? Surely he has had one to attend to me whilst I've been unconscious?' Alecto smirked at this question. 'Oh yes. A healer was attending to you. Unfortunately for him, he and his services were dispensed with.' Rose began to feel uneasy; that did not sound good. 'You!' Alecto barked to someone in the corner of the room. The quivering elf appeared nervously, her eyes like saucers. It was Binky, one of many who served Voldemort. Binky had been allocated to be Rose's personal elf, and the poor thing looked petrified. 'Go and inform the Dark Lord that his wife has awoken.'

Alecto turned back around to face Rose again, not realising that Binky still stood behind her, a look of horror upon her face. Her duties were to clean this room and bring the Dark Lord's wife her meals and fresh clothing. Binky liked the Dark Lord's wife; she was pretty and she would greet Binky and talk to her. She had a kind manner and even thanked Binky for doing her duties. She had never been treated so nicely by any witch or wizard before. Binky's terror at the thought of being in the presence of the Dark Lord made her shake. Neither did she want to bring the Dark Lord here to his nice wife. She was far too nice and pretty for him.

Alecto, eventually sensing that Binky had not yet followed her order, dealt a sharp blow to her body with her foot. 'What are still you doing here?' Rose raised her voice. 'Leave her alone!' Alecto ignored Rose and yelled at Binky again. 'Go now, you stupid elf, before I curse you!' Binky squeaked in fright and apparated from the room. 'I'll make you pay for that, Alecto.' Rose scowled at her, unsurprised, but angry at the harsh treatment given to Binky. Alecto looked at her disdainfully. 'Really?' Rose simply gave her a dark smile. 'You'll see...you'd better grow eyes in the back of your head!' Alecto's expression changed from disdain to unease. She moved away from the bed and Rose let out a small laugh.

Rose poured herself a goblet of water from the jug at the side of her bed and gulped it down to moisten her dry mouth. She studied her surroundings, and it was not the same room that she remembered. The room was smaller and darker, the grey stone walls now replaced by dark oak panelling and smaller leaded windows. He must have changed his headquarters' location whilst she was unconscious. That would have been some undertaking, and it would be one of many things he would not be pleased with...herself being one of them.

She sighed and began to psych herself up for another argument with him. She was really not in the mood, and she had the baby to consider now. She didn't think such a destructive atmosphere and angry voices were what the child needed, but what else could the poor mite expect with him as a father? She began to think on what had happened with Bella, who would have informed him of Kreacher's penetration of his defences. She wondered fleetingly what had happened to Bella. And then their was Morgan...

'Are you ready for your reunion with the Dark Lord?' Alecto spoke again, breaking through her thoughts. Her pursed mouth morphed into a smirk. 'I would not want to be you; he is not pleased.' Rose felt the apprehension turn into a knot of fear in her chest. 'Why? What has happened?' Rose asked the questions, knowing that it would be fruitless. Alecto pursed her lips at Rose again, fixing her cold eyes upon her. 'I've been placed here to watch you, not to converse with you.'

The familiar rush of air invaded the room ominously, ruffling the drapes and causing the flames of the candles to flicker. Rose looked up and met his eyes. The knot of fear in her had chest now spread through the rest of her body. The rage that emanated from him was tangible. It hit her like a wave. Is this my father? I can sense his power. Rose started at hearing the small voice again from inside her. It was still such a strange experience. Yes little one, he is here. She raised her head again; his eyes were still fixed upon her and they burned with the rage that now polluted the atmosphere.

He is angry, mummy. I can feel it. Rose placed a protective hand on her stomach. Do not worry my little chick, he will not harm us. He is angry with me. Voldemort continued to stare at her, his eyes seemed to be trying to pierce right through her. 'You may leave us now, Alecto.' Voldemort did not even turn to acknowledge her, his gaze remained fixed upon Rose.

'Yes, my Lord.' Alecto bowed and then apparated from the room. Rose observed that his left hand was clenched into a fist and she saw the tightness of his jaw; a muscle throbbed in his cheek. The atmosphere was oppressive and she felt as frightened as she had done all those months ago when she was first brought to him. C'mon Rosie, you can handle this, she said to herself. She was determined to stand her ground and not be cowed by him.

'You are awake at last.' He spoke in the familiar deadly, calm tone that she dreaded. She would far rather he raged and shouted at her. She sensed that she was in danger and began to ready herself for what was to come. 'Yes, my Lord,' she replied levelly, inhaling breaths and gently stroking her stomach under the covers as comfort for both the child and herself. She could still feel the fluttering sensation from within.

He began to move around the room and then spoke again. 'Do you recollect what happened?' Rose swallowed; she felt that the atmosphere would choke her. 'Yes, my Lord. I remember collapsing in front of you after I had duelled with Bella. There was a pool of blood on the floor...' She stopped speaking, as something in his expression caught her attention. It was only fleeting, yet she was sure she had seen the recollection of an emotion; fear.

She continued. 'I've been trapped in my head for…well…days, I think. And…I'm pregnant.' She inhaled a breath as she finished speaking. Saying the last two words out loud was both exhilarating and terrifying. She continued to meet his stare, expecting a change in his expression. Some sign of acknowledgement; satisfaction or approval maybe. After all, this was what he had required of her. But she saw no such signs; the anger still seeped from him and his jaw remained clenched.

'Have you anything else to say to me?' This was spoken so carefully and she sensed that it was loaded with such meaning. She considered his words, trying to think what he could mean. Unease prickled at her and she tried to keep her voice steady. 'Well, I'm relieved to have recovered and that the baby is okay. I also want to tell you that I did not know I was pregnant when I duelled with Bella. I would not have done so if I had known, my Lord.'

His expression did not alter. The muscle continued to throb in his cheek. He changed his direction, moving to the foot of the bed. 'This is all you have to say to me', he hissed, his eyes boring into her. She was becoming increasingly unnerved. What was he expecting her to say? 'Yes, my Lord. I can't think of anything else I need to say to you.' Her head continued to throb; all she wanted to do was to lay it back on the pillow and close her eyes.

'Oh I beg to differ girl. You have so much more to say to me!' Rose could see that he was trying to keep tight control of his fury. 'We could start by discussing the Dark Amber stone and the infiltration of my defences by the elf, Kreacher. Then there is the assistance and teaching you have been receiving to strengthen your magic. But firstly, I would like you to share with me all that there is between you and that blood traitor, Sirius Black!'

The name was spoken with such venom. Sirius, she thought. Her heart felt like it had imploded inside her chest at the mention of his name. She recalled everything that lay between them now, and it was both bliss and torture to have those memories back. But she was not sharing something so precious and private with Voldemort. Rose steadied herself and then spoke again. 'I don't know what you mean…'

He growled in anger, aiming a curse at the wall, just above the bed. The wood panelling splintered, and she flinched, ducking her head. The baby moved inside her. 'Such a terrible liar! Speak the truth…now!' Trying to bluff her way out of this was not going to work. Adrenalin kicked in and she jumped from the bed. He reacted just as swiftly and blocked her path. Cornered, Rose backed herself against the wall and she drew upon her magic, casting one of the protective spells she had been taught.

Voldemort laughed mirthlessly. 'Clever girl!' he said, sensing the magic she had cast. The amusement did not reach his eyes. He aimed a spell at the shield, but it held fast. Rose breathed a sigh of relief; she had to protect herself and her child now. 'Stop it! You are upsetting the child! You may be angry with me, but you are frightening him!' This appeal seemed to have little effect upon him. He walked up to the shield, his face was only feet away from hers and his serpentine eyes studied her viciously.

'Oh we must not upset the child!' He shouted, the last word was spat out in disgust. He walked away from her but then turned back around and hurled yet another curse in her direction. She saw him exhale a breath in frustration and watched the emotions flicker across his face. He was losing control of himself. 'The question I want answered is this; exactly whose child is it?' She felt him attempt to probe her mind, but this was now closed to him. Rose finally understood what he was insinuating. He believed the child to be Sirius'!

Oh Christ! What the hell do I do now? She wracked her brain as to how this could have happened. The only possible explanation was that she had cried something out in her subconscious state. How was she going to convince him of the truth? Deciding on her approach, Rose answered him. 'I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, but yes, I did begin a relationship with Sirius before your followers captured me. And yes, we have had sex. But the baby is not his, it is yours. I am telling you the truth.' She saw him draw back slightly at her candour. It appeared he had not expected it. Rose breathed deeply in surprise. Again she had seen the flicker of an emotion in his face that she did not expect.

It vanished so quickly that she felt she must have imagined it. The more recognisable emotions of fury and suspicion had returned. 'At last you admit the truth. Or some of it, at least! You own your infidelity and that you whored yourself to Black. Yet you expect me to simply take your word that the brat inside of you is mine?' He moved away from her and began to walk back and forth, the air crackling with his anger. 'You are a faithless, deceitful slut!'

Rose's fear evaporated upon hearing his last words. Her anger began to pulsate through her at the insults he had levelled at her. She laughed, something that she knew would put her in danger. But she was beyond caring now; this man was unbelievable. Voldemort ceased his movements and whirled around. 'How dare you…!' Rose cut him off. 'Yes I dare…you arrogant, hypocritical bastard!' Rose yelled back, the fire in her was raging. Drawing on that rage, she cast out a spell. 'Volnus!' Voldemort saw hundreds of tiny silver daggers coming towards him at speed. He hastily issued a counter curse, 'Liquefacio!' The daggers began to liquify and the melted silver dropped onto the floor. His eyes widened in surprise at her audacity.

'Ustulo!' Rose watched the flames she had conjured cover Voldemort's shield. He extinguished them with ease and she screamed as a swarm of large wasps flew from the tip of his wand and congregated on her own shield. She hated wasps and was allergic to their venom. The sight of their bodies moving in unison and vibration of their buzzing almost caused her to panic. She could see that they were trying to pierce her shield with their sting. 'Duratus!' The wasps began to be covered by a frosting of ice; their bodies dropped to the floor and began to evaporate.

Voldemort snarled in frustration and continued on in trying to break Rose's shield, whilst she concentrated her energies on keeping it steady. Casting those spells had taxed her. Rose laughed darkly when she realised he could not break it. Voldemort ceased his exertions when he heard her voice again. 'How can I possibly have been unfaithful?' Rose shouted at him. 'I was not married to you when I slept with Sirius!' Voldemort stared at her in disbelief and spoke again. 'You knew of the prophecy; you knew that you were destined to bear my child. You knew that you belonged to me, yet you dared to open your legs for that blood traitor!'

Rose shook her head at his twisted logic and clenched her fists at the insult he spat at her. 'What are you talking about? The prophecy said I would give birth to your child! It said nothing about me keeping myself only for you! Your self-importance is unbelievable! I don't belong to you...I don't belong to anyone! I'm not your possession or anyone else's! And if anyone has broken a vow, then it is you! You are the one who has had sex with someone else since we were bonded!'

She spat the accusation back at him and he glared at her. 'You dare to accuse me?' Rose shook her head in disbelief. 'Yes I dare! Yes I challenge you on what you accuse me of! I won't be spoken to like that and say nothing! Don't you get it? I don't care that you slept with Bella! I am just pointing out how much of a hypocrite you are!' His face became contorted with rage and incredulity.

Rose could not stop herself now, despite the sensations of the baby and the danger she was in. He had riled her and she continued her verbal assault upon him. 'You wanted the truth? Well you can have it! I hate you and I never wanted to have this child with you! Did you not get the hint when I hid myself from you for five years? You're sick, evil and warped; you have so much blood on your hands and you are damned! My child will have a soulless, loveless and damned creature for a father! Do you know how sad that makes me?' She paused, and then laughed harshly. 'Why I am even I telling you this? I may as well be talking to a rock. You don't care if I'm sad or happy, you don't care how I feel, or how anyone feels. You don't feel at all. That heart inside of you is a shrivelled, dead thing!'

She paused for breath and tried to take control of her anger, but it was beyond controlling and Rose continued her attack, as she seemed to have shocked him into silence. 'Yes, I opened my legs for Sirius Black, as you dare to describe it, and it was bloody amazing…he's the best man I've ever known and he loves me! He's a better man than you in every way possible! I love him as much as I hate you! I wish more than anything that my baby was his... but it's yours!'

She had never seen a look like the one that appeared on his face. It contained a myriad of emotions and in the seconds before he released his rage again and aimed another curse at her shield, she observed the emotional reactions to her words that seemed to flit across his face. She was puzzled and unnerved by what she thought she had seen. It couldn't be real…could it? Had her words hurt him? No! She was mistaken...she had to be. Its just that his arrogant pride has been humiliated...no one else can have what he considers to be his...that's all it is.

'Damn it!' he yelled as the curses he aimed at the shield failed to penetrate. He could not break it and burned inwardly at the humiliation of it. He was Lord Voldemort…her magic should be no match for his, even with Morgan's blood inside her. He swallowed and breathed deeply, shocked by the sensations he was experiencing inwardly from her verbal assault. He felt as if he had shards of glass piercing his insides. He was usually impervious to such insults and even revelled in them. Why was he reacting to her words? He had lost his composure and needed to regain it. He inhaled breaths and tried again to exert control over himself and the situation; they had reached a stalemate.

'You cannot protect yourself and your spawn forever.' He spoke, now mastering his emotions again. 'You are weak and your magic will fail you eventually. Where is your protector now? It seems she has deserted you!' He smiled at her, trying to weaken her with his words. She stared back. 'I know that Morgan has assisted you with your magical skills, and with bewitching and deceiving me!'

Rose inclined her head in acknowledgement, her eyes studying him warily. He had changed his approach and was now displaying his familiar cold and controlled demeanour. 'Yes. She has taught me so much in these past few months. But even Morgan has her own agenda and cannot be trusted. She's as bad as you for lying, trying to control me and not showing me any respect! Neither of you have the manners to call me by my name! It's always "girl" or "child", and I'm neither…not anymore! I may be only young, but I'm not a fool. The only people I can trust are the people who I love and who love me!'

He barked out a humourless laugh. 'Where are your loved ones now to help you? Your family is in hiding and no longer know who you are. 'Black…' he spat the name out in disgust. This so-called "better" man that you have whored yourself to, has failed you. He could not save or protect you from me! 'Where is he now to help you?' He laughed harshly. 'No, he loved you so much that he left you and saved himself!' She shook her head and smiled at him piteously. She placed a hand on the left side of her chest. 'They are here. And they are in here.' Rose rested a hand on her stomach.

'Oh how sweet!' Voldemort's voice dripped with sarcasm and disdain. 'Well I hope you are comforted by the knowledge of you and your spawn dying with your love for one another. And that you shall die knowing your family and that failure of a blood traitor loved you.' Rose stared at him levelly. 'Yes, it does comfort me. My death at your hands will mean nothing to me…for you it will be another step down the road to your destruction. But how will your child feel knowing his own father killed him?' She watched the rising and falling of his chest and the repressed anger in his eyes. But she could not stop.

'And how will you answer for that when death finally catches up with you and the higher powers of the universe demand an explanation? How will you feel knowing you murdered your own child?' She let out another bitter laugh. 'Another stupid question…you murdered your father and your grandparents all those years ago. I don't expect murdering your son will cause you any concern!'

He felt the control of his emotions disintegrate once more as she continued to push at him. He let out a blistering yell of rage, firing every curse and hex that came to mind at her shield. Rose backed up against the wall, expecting it to break at any moment. She'd gone too far and had goaded him too much. She should have tried to talk her way out of trouble. Instead she'd let her temper get the better of her again and had forgotten that it was the two of them that would die.

Great start in motherhood, Rose! She felt the tears prickle at her eyes and her anger was now directed at herself. She focused her concentration back on the shield and her baby. I'm sorry, she whispered inwardly to her son. He thinks you are not his child, and I've lost my temper and made things worse. If this shield breaks now, we will die. I'm sorry, my little one. No, her child's voice spoke clearly. We will be okay, mummy. With our magic, and with the magic of the lady in the wardrobe, we are safe.

What? She said. Look, the child replied, she is watching over us. She won't let father harm us. Rose's gaze travelled over Voldemort's shoulder to the wardrobe. She had not noticed it before, but one of the doors had swung open. She gasped inwardly as she saw the face that peeped from between her gowns and robes. Who was she and how had she remained undetected? The woman raised a finger to her lips, indicating for Rose to remain silent.

The woman's soft, quiet voice infiltrated her head and Rose listened to her advice, somewhat alarmed by what she suggested. But the woman reassured her, and Rose instinctively knew that she could trust her. When Voldemort ceased his failed attack, Rose withdrew her protective shield. This was a huge gamble and it may not pay off.

Voldemort, drawing in breaths to due to his exertions, immediately sensed that the shield was gone and readied his wand. His face showed that he was ready to strike her, but her gaze upon him was defiant. 'Go ahead then...kill us. You believe your suspicions are true, and you are so certain you are right. You don't trust my word and you won't listen to me. Maybe you will listen to the child instead. He speaks to me and knows who his father is.'

Rose sensed his uncertainty and saw that he hesitated, so she continued challenging him. 'Do it! If you are never wrong and I'm just a lying whore, then you can simply add our blood to all the blood you have ever spilled! I know that It'll be another mark on that ravaged bit of soul you have left! But I'll say this to you; if you kill me and our son, then you will regret gaining immortality. I will curse you and I will find a way to return. You will never be rid of me! I will haunt you. drive you to the edge of insanity and watch as you fall into it!'

She uttered her final words with such venom and her amber eyes burned with such conviction, that his certainty that the brat was Black's began to weaken. The images she created in his head; of her blood and his child's covering his hands wounded him and made him feel sick. She knew full well that he could end her life at any moment, yet she dared him to do it. The truth seemed to be blazing from her every pore, but he was confused and uncertain. She said that the child spoke to her, and he felt a longing to converse with the boy...if it was truly his son.

He knew she could just be lying and that this could simply be an attempt to call his bluff as a way of saving the life of Black's seedling. It was a high risk to take. But killing her was just as great a risk. The spawn inside of her still could be his child. The spells and incantations he had researched to determine the child's true paternity had so far not been suitable. They were highly dangerous and risked the deaths of both mother and child. He hated to be seen as indecisive. He froze, and was jolted from his thoughts by what felt like the feather light touch of a hand upon his shoulder.