“What did he mean?” Tony asked her when they were settled back at the apartment.
They had managed to sneak away just as the police and other first responders arrived. She hoped the other party attendants would tell them that she had only been trying to help. After all, she hadn’t harmed any of them. With Vincent’s reach in this world, though, she knew it was only a matter of time before they came for her. They had all packed bags just in case.
“Vincent? What did he say?” Dakota questioned.
Anastasia felt the lump in her throat and the fear in her chest. How could she bring a child into this world? How was she going to save everyone she loved, and still make sure her baby was safe as well? She had been injured so many times over the last ten years fighting the Brutes that she knew it was only a matter of time before it happened again.
“Anastasia?” Elizabeth said softly, and touched her cheek. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
Anastasia took a deep breath and swallowed hard. She knew she had to tell them, Dakota especially.
“I’m pregnant.” She almost whispered it as she looked down at her folded hands.
“What?” She could hear the shock in Dakota’s voice.
Why hadn’t they been more careful? she scolded herself.
“Pregnant?” Elizabeth nearly squealed it. “That’s wonderful!”
“I agree!” Tony laughed, and they both hugged Anastasia.
“We need to celebrate! We will be right back!” Elizabeth stood, and she and Tony ran out of the apartment and across the hall to hers.
Dakota and Anastasia sat in silence for what seemed like hours. She hadn’t had the nerve to look at him, afraid that she might see the same fear plastered on his face as she knew was on hers.
He knelt in front of her and took her hands.
“Ana?” he said softly.
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.
“We can do this,” he said carefully. “We can absolutely do this.”
Images ran through her mind from the stasis Vincent had put her in. She saw their little girl laughing and playing as she ran through the house. Watched as she giggled when Dakota picked her up and tickled her. Then she watched her scream with fear as the Brutes came in and tore her world apart.
Anastasia shook her head and stood.
“How can you say that, Dakota? With everything going on right now, how are you so calm with this? Especially after what I did only hours ago.”
“Because it’s ours. This baby, it’s you and it’s me. I feel that, if we have learned anything throughout our lives, it’s that you and I together can do anything.” He stood and walked to her. “And what happened tonight was not your fault. You know that.”
“Dakota, I saw her taken from us.” She covered her face with her hands. “I watched when the Brutes came in and stole our little girl from us.”
“That wasn’t our little girl, Ana. That was an illusion that Vincent gave you. You have to believe that we can do this.”
“How? Look at how many times I’ve been injured. Not even six months ago I took a blade to my stomach. What if I had been pregnant then?”
“We will be more careful.”
“I was being careful then.”
“Then have faith, Anastasia. You have to have faith that it will be okay. There is nothing we can do about it now. We can’t take it back, and honestly I don’t want to. I’m excited, dammit.” She looked into his eyes and saw the happiness reflecting in them.
“Don’t let Vincent ruin this for us as he has so many other moments. This is our moment, Ana.” He kissed her lightly and she smiled back at him, knowing he was right.
“Now, I know you can’t drink this,” Elizabeth said as she and Tony came back into the apartment with a bottle of wine, “but we can, and you can have some of this sparkling grape juice. I kept it on hand for when I was on call.” She smiled and started to pour some glasses. “And before you say it, I know we shouldn’t be happy with everything that happened tonight, but I say that after the death that seems to be following us everywhere, the chance that new life is going to be brought in is a reason to celebrate.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Dakota smiled and handed Anastasia a glass of the sparkling juice.
“To a positive future,” Elizabeth said, and they clinked glasses.
Later that night, Anastasia lay in bed awake. Dakota slept soundly next to her just as he had so many times over the years. She remembered what it had been like when they had been teens. She had always hoped they would spend their lives together, and that they would one day have kids that they could raise in a house full of love, much like his had been growing up. She was trying so hard to be happy about the baby she carried, and although it was what she had always wanted, she was so afraid that the timing was so far off, things could only go bad.
Anastasia crept out of bed and walked out onto the balcony into the crisp December air.
“Hey, Anastasia.”
She turned and saw Tony standing on Elizabeth’s balcony.
“It seems we are both unable to sleep at the same time.” Anastasia laughed.
“Seems that way.” He looked at her seriously. “So tell me, what is on your mind?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and I have been living in the same world for the last ten years. We have seen the good and the bad of it all, and the bad seems to be the only thing standing out in my mind,” he said softly.
“I’m afraid.”
“Understandable. I was afraid when I found out that my wife was pregnant. Not the best example given how horrible things turned out for me.” He swallowed hard. She could see that even after all this time, it still ate at him. “Nut the few months I had were the best ones of my life.”
“Tony, what happens if I get hurt? If the baby gets hurt? What if I turn dark while I am pregnant? Will the baby be dark then as well? Will I give birth to an evil child just as Vincent said I would?”
“It will be fine, you will see. It will be hard; you will have to be more careful when you are fighting.” At her glance, he continued, “I am no fool, Anastasia. I know just as well as you do that you will not be kept out of the fight. We need you, and that boy in there knows it as well.” He motioned to where Dakota slept. “You will just have to be more careful. And as far as turning dark? You’ve been there and come back from it. I don’t believe you will ever return. You have more good in you than anyone I have ever known; there is not a chance that baby won’t possess that same goodness.”
“What if it’s not enough?”
“What if the world falls apart tomorrow?” he countered. “What if this balcony breaks and I fall to my death as we are speaking? The world is full of ‘what if,’ Anastasia. You just have to be brave enough to take the risk, and this baby, it’s worth the risk.”
She smiled at him. “Tony, I don’t know that I’ve ever told you how grateful I am to have you. You are a wonderful father, and I am proud to think of you as one.”
He beamed at her. “Nothing makes me happier.”
Anastasia walked back into the room. She stood for a moment watching Dakota while he slept. She was so happy with him. Even with the world falling apart at the seams, he made her feel as though everything were perfect. Anastasia gently touched her still-flat stomach. She smiled, and tears filled her eyes. She had always wanted to have Dakota’s baby, had always wanted to be married to him and to share her life with him. Now all of those things were coming to pass, and she would be damned if she allowed Vincent to steal her happiness away. She climbed into bed and curled next to Dakota.
“You feeling okay?” he asked sleepily as he pulled her into his arms.
“Absolutely.” She kissed him and then closed her eyes.