Incomplete (A VA Fanfic One-Shots & Shorts Collection)

Choice: Part 2

DPOV
Actions have repercussions.

I knew that something bad would come due to sleeping with Rose. I just hadn't expected this... Hell, no one could have expected this. It was unprecedented and I didn't know how to feel. I should be feeling ecstatic, but there were too many other aspects and emotions. If I was this lost, I couldn't begin to imagine how she was feeling.

"Wh-what?"
"You heard me," Rose snapped, and she glared at me in the process. Her brown eyes were swimming with emotion. Fear was the dominant one. "Positive. It came back positive. FOUR. TIMES!"
I suddenly had the urge to take the Pilot and Rose and keep on driving as far past Billings as I could get. "I- this changes everything."
"No kidding, Sherlock!"
"Rose, calm down..."
Her jaw clenched and unclenched five times before she sighed. "I'm all for the field trip, but why are we going to them?"
"You're just going to a him. And since he's doing us a favour, we're making the drive."
Rose curled back into the seat with her hands absentmindedly resting on her lower abdomen, around her bellybutton. Where the baby was growing, her baby, my baby. Our baby. "He? Who?"
I smiled broadly. Art would approve of her, I knew it. "Art Schoenberg."
"Who!" she squeaked.
"Art Schoenberg." Out of the corner of my eye I noticed her shaking with nerves. "Settle, Roza. Besides, if he sees the good in your record outweighing the bad- and I suspect he will- it's a good recommendation to have."
"But what about...?" Her arms tightened around her torso, pointedly and protectively.
"Rose," I warned. "A number of female guardians-"
"Don't you dare! I won't be my mother all over again!"
"Of course you won't, Rose. I was going to say he'll be understanding and supportive."
"If he approves in the first place!"
"Stop doubting your potential," I murmured. My right hand left the wheel and found it breaking through Rose's defence to rest where her hands had been before. Gently, I rubbed her tummy. "All this stress isn't healthy."

We had time pressing on us, but when Rose demanded we stop at a 24 hour diner I couldn't refuse. The stress was bad enough; I wouldn't let her forego food, let alone encourage it. I was going to support her however possible. If she was willing to leave Lissa's side then I follow her around the world a thousand times over.

When we reached the Badica's residence it was familiar. I had only been here once, but it was familiar to me nonetheless. Time for Rose to shine. We locked eyes, smiled, nodded, then stepped out of the Pilot. The doors shut in unison and I pressed to remote locking's lock button while Rose moved to my side.
Halfway down the path to the door, Rose slipped and my hand instinctively reached out. My heart-rate slowed back down to its normal pace after spiking with the terrifying thought of Rose miscarrying. I would never let harm come to either Rose or our baby.
"Thanks." Rose's smile at me turned into a glare at the path. "Don't they know about salt!"
Then I freaked. I snapped into guardian mode and surveyed the details of my surroundings. The layer of untouched snow was too thick and unbroken. The path was icy when the best guardian would never forget to use salt on it. There was no smoke from the chimney. There was no laughing from the resident kids. The door didn't appear properly closed, even from here. The atmosphere was suddenly eerie.
"Go back to the car," I ordered, looking into Rose's eyes pointedly. "Don't get out for anything."
"But-"
"Not. For. Anything." I wanted to press my hand against her abdomen but if they were still around I didn't want them knowing my novice was pregnant, it made her weak in their eyes, a perfect target. I wouldn't allow that- I COULDN'T allow that. "Now go."
Without further argument, she returned to the car after I unlocked it. Once she was in, I locked it again. Hopefully she'll stay put, though I doubted it as I slowly approached the door with my hand on my stake.

I surveyed the house once, the bodies and the entry points. By the time I returned to the living room Rose was standing there, with a hand over her mouth and looking as though she wanted to vomit. I soon enough realised that was extremely likely, because of the hormones. I hurried to her side and scooped her up then carried her outside and sat her on the outside dining table.
"What were you thinking?"
Her shocked and disbelieving eyes searched mine. Tears pooled. "I-"
"Shh." I hadn't meant to add guilt to her hurricane of emotions. "I know, curiosity got the better of you."
My eyes raked over her, stopping when they registered she was holding a stake.